Obituary of Barclay Kirk Brown

Barclay Brown passed away November 16, 2016 in Santa Cruz. He was 84. A native of Santa Cruz, he attended local schools and graduated from Santa Cruz High. Barclay attended Stanford and Cornell University, where he earned his degree in Ornamental Horticulture. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he returned to Santa Cruz and married Joan Awbrey in 1956. Barclay worked in the family business, Brown Bulb Ranch on 41st Avenue, and was instrumental in growing the begonia business which supports the Capitola Begonia Festival. He was a longtime member of the Santa Cruz Rotary Club. He was also an avid gardener and especially loved traveling. Barclay is survived by his four children: Laura Snow, Andrea (Bob) Rivers, Lon Brown and Justin (Sidney) Brown, and by his brother, Todd Brown, all of Santa Cruz. He is also survived by his 7 grandchildren: Stephanie, Simone, Austin, Mimi, Bonny, Luke, and Zak, and great grandchildren Layla and Adrian. A private celebration of Barclay's life will be held at a future date.