Harold Charles Brown, 93, of Niagara Falls, died peacefully Tuesday, March 24, 2015, at Mount St. Mary's Hospital as he lived: in prayer and surrounded by his large family. Born on February 11, 1922, in Binghamton, N.Y., he was the son of George and Ethel Brown and raised by his beloved aunt, Margaret McVinnie. He is survived by his devoted wife of 66 years, Rose (Mento), who he married on July 24, 1948. They had eight children together.

Brown, of Forest Avenue, was a well-known and esteemed CPA in Niagara Falls. He graduated in 1948 from Niagara University, which he chose to attend over Notre Dame University and where he later taught and was recently given the President's Award at the annual N.U. Scholarship Dinner for contributions to the community. He also was an administrator at Mount St. Mary's and a long-time board member of HANCI and the Rotary Club, serving in both for more than three decades. He loved his adopted home of Niagara Falls, and never stopped having faith in its future. Faith was very important to Harold, who was a parishioner at Mount Carmel Church (now Holy Family) in Niagara Falls. He worked for four years on the railroad to save for college, spending many frigid nights on boxcars before hitch-hiking his way to Niagara. In the 1960s he augmented his income by operating a small custard stand on Falls Street, and received a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Buffalo in 1973. A sports fan, he never missed a Bills game and for years held season's tickets for the Purple Eagles home basketball games. He also enjoyed watching the Yankees and Sabres. Always a bit ahead of his time, he had the very first computer ever made available on the commercial market as well as one of the original copying machines in his office at Eighth and Division streets. He spent much of his retirement working on the internet, which he mastered despite his age. He had a love for adventure and took his large family, and sometimes their dog, on epic trips with a trailer to Florida, California, and Nova Scotia, accompanied by wife Rose's parents. He was never overcome by crisis. Undaunted by life's pressures, he always practiced what he preached about "riding the waves" and had a keen sense of humor. Three of his sons, also CPAs, later joined him in the accounting firm, Brown and Company in Niagara Falls. He was proud of all his children and considered family to be the center of his existence. A former altar boy, he was an ardent student of the Bible and the Church.

Harold is survived, in addition to wife Rose, by his children, Kathleen (Dr. Theodore) Jenkins of Niagara Falls; Maureen (Michael) Cacace of Stamford, Connecticut; Michael (wife Lisa) Brown of Palm Coast, Florida; Christopher (Suzanne) Brown, Steven (Connie) Brown, Patrick (Maria) Brown, all of Niagara Falls, and Jeannine (Kevin) Miller of Lewiston; he was predeceased by son Russell, who died at six weeks of age in Rochester and who he baptized; and grandson Jonathan Miller, both of whom he is now joyously and specially reunited with. His mother, who died when he was an infant, is now at his side. He was also predeceased by sisters Marie (Bill) Hume and Evelyn (William) Turner, both of Binghamton. His fifteen grandchildren (Rob, Joe, Alex, Rich, Chrissy, Andrea, Allison, Lauren, Alyssa, Chris, Elizabeth, Joe, Connor, and Mary Rose) were very special to him, as were his five great-grandchildren.

He was a member of the United Way Budget Committee, a Niagara Falls Centennial Steering Committee board member, a Niagara Falls Charter Review Commission board member, a member of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Buffalo, a Niagara Catholic board member, a member of the Exchange Club of Niagara Falls, and served in various other civic and church groups. He was the recipient of two other special awards from his beloved Niagara University, including, in 2002, the Outstanding Alumni Award from Niagara University Accounting Society where his message to accounting students was "the dollar bill is important but it must not be allowed to interfere with good morals, honest, competent and independent professional services. The public must trust us and we have the obligation to satisfy that trust." Other recognitions were from the Niagara Falls Chamber of Commerce, Town of Niagara Business & Professional Association, and the United Way of Niagara Humanitarian Award. He also received the Paul Harris Award from the Rotary, where he was treasurer for many years.

Visitation will be held on Friday, March 27th from 4 – 7 P.M. at the M. J. COLUCCI & SON NIAGARA FUNERAL CHAPEL, 2730 Military Road. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, March 28th at 11:00 A.M. in Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Parish at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 27th and Independence Ave., Niagara Falls, with Rev. Duane Klizek officiating. EVERYONE PLEASE ASSEMBLE AT CHURCH. Interment will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Lewiston, NY. If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Jonathan "JMill" Miller Giving Fund c/o 744 Curtis Ct. Lewiston, NY 14092.