Allen Norman Brown

1951-2026

Allen was a brilliant man, a great lover of dogs and nature, a camping and canoeing enthusiast, and a true explorer. His life was filled with rich experiences, and he was always looking for the next challenge. Allen was loved deeply by his daughters, Melissa and Rebecca, his partner, Cory, and by his cherished granddaughter, Minnie. He will remain woven into who they are, and into the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing him through the lessons he taught, the love he provided, and the memories they shared.

Allen’s background was in nuclear physics, computer science, and teaching. In his early years, he taught high school physics in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program in Switzerland and England and then worked as a defense scientist with DND. He shifted to computer science education at the Queen’s Faculty of Education in 1990, developing their first online courses. During these years he became Chief IB Physics Examiner bringing new teaching approaches to educators around the world. He moved on to Nortel from 1997 to 2012 working as a systems architect.

Throughout his life, Allen was the family go-to person to repair and build things, large and small. Large things included building two houses. He and his partner owned property along the Cataraqui Trail and built an environmental house there drawing on geothermal and wood heating, solar hot water, and photovoltaic electricity. His favourite t-shirt captures his wonderful sense of humour and his countless gifts. It reads “I fix stuff and I know things.” Allen loved Christmas and filled the house with lights and his vast collection of ornaments. His home-made chocolate chip cookies, shortbread, and lemon meringue pies were legendary. He had a lovely voice and often serenaded us by the campfire in Algonquin, singing “Right Field” and other folk songs. He was drawn to the tranquillity and simplicity of camping throughout his life.

Allen was a Cataraqui Trail Board Member for many years and managed the eastern stretch between Chaffey’s Locks and Highway 15, unclogging beaver excavations and clearing branches. He walked the trail every day with his dogs tracking the changing landscape and the beauty of the natural world. Allen was a man for all seasons. He was infinitely kind and caring. He was an insatiable learner. He was an optimist who found the best in life. His happiest moments were spent outdoors walking the trail, rambling through the woods, or observing the stars through his telescope or in the quiet of a lakeside campsite.

Allen led his life with conviction and purpose. In the words of his favourite physicist, Richard Feynman, “Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn’t matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough.”