Mark Brown, 61, of Cumming, died Friday, Oct. 3, 2008.

Born July 9, 1947 to Doris and Johnson W. "Dub" Brown, Mark was a dedicated son, husband, father and grandfather.

Mark was an Airborne Ranger and a veteran of the Vietnam War, where he served as a Captain in the infantry and received numerous medals for his service.

Mark was an avid hiker and outdoorsman, whose completion of the Appalachian

Trail was cut short by his death. A man confident in his beliefs and priorities, Mark made a profound impact in the lives of his friends and family.

Survivors include his wife of 39 years, Juanita Durham Brown; three children, Chris and his wife Marie, Ashlee and her husband John and Jason and his wife Glynn-Glynn; six grandchildren, Mark and Taylor Brown, Baxley and Sadie Woodruff, Anna and Madelyn Brown; parents, Johnson W. "Dub" and Doris Brown; sister and brother-in-law, Brad and Melanie Curtis; various other relatives also survive.

A memorial to celebrate Mark's life was held Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. at the Cumming First United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made in Mark's name to the Cumming First United Methodist Church building fund, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (www.appalachiantrail.org), the Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org), or to the charity of your choice.

Ingram Funeral Home and Crematory of Cumming was in charge of the arrangements.