Elkins business leader Brown recalled warmly

Brown
ELKINS — A longtime Randolph County business leader and stalwart volunteer for local charitable organizations is being remembered warmly in the community.
William J. “Bill” Brown, 78, a resident of Elkins for more than 70 years, passed away at his home Jan. 10.
He and his brother Tom owned multiple successful businesses in Randolph County through the years, including Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Elkins, General Distributing and the Hess Oil Company. Bill Brown was also a limited partner of Elkins Builders Supply and of Elkins Builders Concrete.
One of Brown’s best friends, Jerry Trimboli of Elkins, recalled serving with Bill when they were both in the National Guard.
“Bill Brown and I became close friends in 1970 when we were in the 1092nd Combat Engineers National Guard Unit in Gassaway,” Trimboli told The Inter-Mountain. “Bill continued his service for about 16 years, leaving due to business obligations with the family Pepsi Cola franchise where he and his brother, Tom, ran the business. Bill had reached the rank of First Sergeant in the National Guard at that time.
“Bill and I started playing men’s volleyball at the YMCA when the league was very competitive and, of course, our team was sponsored by Pepsi Cola.
“Bill was a tremendous businessman, using the skills that his father George instilled in him,” Trimboli said. “Bill and Tom went on to own General Distributing, which encompassed the Coors distributorship and other beer brands. They went to own the Exxon distributorship. Bill went on to invest in properties with other business men.”
Brown had served as the past vice president of Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce; past commissioner of Pop Warner Little League Football; exhausted rooster of the Jaycees; past assistant director of the Mountain State Forest Festival; past YMCA Foundation Board; past president and board member of the Elkins Rotary Club; and past secretary of the board of trustees of Davis Memorial Hospital.
“Bill was the type of person that came into a room and brought smiles to everyone’s face,” Trimboli said. “That was who Bill Brown was, Even back to high school days when he entertained classmates and others as the lead in his senior class play, ‘Pillow Talk.’
“Never once did I, or others, ask favors from Bill and Brenda Brown that they ever said no,” Trimboli added. “There is no doubt that Bill Brown will be missed by all of those whose lives he touched.”
Brown was named the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce Business Man of the Year in 1989; and also received the 2010 Allohak Council of Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen, and the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber 2022 Tom Williams Award of Distinction.
Brown and his wife Brenda had just celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary. They shared two daughters and four grandchilden.