James Lloyd “Duck” Brown, 100, passed away on Christmas Day, December 25, 2022 at Meadowbrook Health Center at Clark-Lindsey Village.

               He was born on March 27, 1922, in rural Wapella, Illinois to Mark D. and Esther E. Brown. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Mark, and his beloved wife Harriet, to whom he was married for 60 years.

               Lloyd is survived by two sons, Tom (Mary Ann) Brown of Urbana and Ed (Debra) Brown of Atlanta, Ga.; five grandchildren, Davis (Danielle) Brown of Louisville, Ky., Geoffrey (Laura McKee) Brown of Decatur, Ga., Ross (Lee) Brown of Sacramento, Ca., Katie (Chris) Agness of Austin, Tex., and Spencer (Leigh) Brown of Atlanta, Ga.; and eleven great-grandchildren.

               Lloyd’s family moved from their small farm in Wapella to Urbana in 1923. He attended Urbana schools, where he competed in football, basketball, and golf, eventually graduating from Urbana High School in 1940. His stint at the University of Illinois was interrupted by three years in the army, where he served as part of Patton’s Third Army on the European front near the end of World War II. After the war, Lloyd returned to U of I to complete his business degree in 1947. During this time, he met the love of his life, Harriet. They married the following year.

               After college, Lloyd entered the insurance and real estate business, where he, his father, and his brother founded Mark D. Brown and Sons Agency. His son Tom later joined the family businesses that would become Brown & Brown Real Estate Appraisals and, ultimately, Brown, Hobbs, & McMurray Insurance where he worked until retirement in 2008. Outside of his career, Lloyd lived a fun and full life, marked by love for and from his family and countless friends. Even as he and Harriet traveled the world, including to a winter home in Marco Island, Fla. for over 30 years, Lloyd always thought of Urbana as home.

               Golf was also a running thread in Lloyd’s life, starting from his first job caddying for 50 cents per round at Urbana Country Club at age 10. He would later join UCC, where he was a member and avid golfer for nearly 80 years. During his college years, he was a standout on the University of Illinois team, even serving as captain his senior year. He loved to play and talk golf with family and friends, winning numerous local tournaments in Illinois and Florida and, remarkably, shooting his age or better more than 1500 times.

               Lloyd was a devoted husband, a proud father and grandfather, and a dedicated businessman. His quiet demeanor belied a love for socializing. Lloyd drove himself to his own 100th birthday party and continued to host Friday night cocktail hours at his ClarkLindsey apartment all the way up to his death. All who knew him will miss his genuine kindness, his keen curiosity, his quick wit, and his world-famous sarcastic eyeroll.

               Memorials may be made to Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church in Champaign. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday April 15, 2023, at Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church, 208 W. University Ave., Champaign, IL 61820.