Thomas John Brown

Thomas John Brown, aged 58, resident of St Augustine, Florida passed away peacefully after a strong fight against pancreatic cancer, on August 3rd, 2019. He was born February 21, 1961 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan to Dewayne and Joy Brown. In December 1972 Tom moved with his family to Orange Park, Florida.  He is survived by his stepmother Sharon Chapman, brothers David Brown (wife Christine) and Michael Brown (wife Robin), sister Sheila Thomas (husband Brad), and son, James Willingham (wife Megan).

Tom graduated from St Johns County Day School in Orange Park, Florida, and attended Embry-Riddle and Jacksonville Universities. He was a devout Catholic, gregarious pirate, and greathearted friend to many. 

Tom worked most recently at the St Augustine Lowe’s Store.  However, Tom was best known for his thirty plus years of work at Scarlet O’Hara’s in St Augustine, where he was bar manager and head bartender.  Known as Cap’n Tom (and later Commodore) to friends, colleagues, and strangers alike, he had an affable character that few could forget. 

He enjoyed working with his hands, constructing custom buildings for his massive Christmas village collection, building furniture in his garage, and of course building onto his backyard entertainment deck.

Tom began his pirating career a few years out of high school, when he and a few friends organized and threw the first annual Buccaneer Bash. It grew into and inspired organizations of like-minded-privateers, helping not only to support charities but also engaging with younger children as a fun way of learning local St Augustine and regional history. The culmination of Tom’s pirate exploits came upon receiving a Letter of Marque during a visit from the reigning King and Queen of Spain to St Augustine.

A funeral mass will be held for Thomas Brown on Wednesday, August 21st, at 10:00 AM, at San Sebastian Catholic Church, on SR 16, in St Augustine.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Haven Hospice of North Florida or the American Cancer Society.