Roberts VanDyke Brown, 72, died Dec. 24, 2005, after a short illness, in Los Angeles, Calif. A long-time resident of Seattle and Eastsound, Mr. Brown is survived by his children Roberts V. (Diana) Brown, Charles B. (Yvonne) Brown, and Nancy Brown (Darrell) Toland, plus seven grandchildren, his brothers Hilton U. (Flora) Brown and Thomas S. (Pat) Brown, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Mr. Brown is also survived by his long-time partner, Mary Jo Farr.

Mr. Brown was born July 27, 1933 in Indianapolis, Ind., to Paul V. Brown and Florence Stanley Brown. He moved to Seattle as a teenager, where his father worked as Superintendent of Parks from 1948 to 1960. Mr. Brown attended Franklin High School and the University of Washington, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After serving in the Army, Mr. Brown held various positions as a manufacturing representative before he purchased Intercoastal, Inc., an aeronautical parts distribution company, in 1967. He sold Intercoastal, Inc. in 1981 and retired to Buck Mountain, just outside of Eastsound on Orcas Island, where he lived for over 20 years in the dream home he designed and had built.

Mr. Brown loved music and played the piano his entire life. He enjoyed the arts and supported local artists on Orcas by commissioning and promoting their work. Mr. Brown also loved boats and owned several waterskiing boats as a teenager and young adult before he purchased the “Carolina”, a 1928 Jensen-built wooden yacht, in 1964. He owned the Carolina for 20 years and spent as much time as he could cruising the U.S. and Canadian coastal islands he cherished. Mr. Brown was a member of the Classic Yacht Association and served as its president for several years.

Mr. Brown will be remembered by his children as a loving, supportive father. He had a quick wit and kept his sense of humor until the end, holding the respect of all who knew him. We love him and we will miss him.

A memorial service and celebration of Mr. Brown’s life will be held at Daniel’s Broiler on Lake Union in Seattle on Jan. 21, 2006 at 1 p.m.