From Lilly Dick:
The passing of Tim Brown was gut wrenching. It is without exaggeration that one can say Newport lost a great man. And among the many things about his passing that one can say is that he was Newport’s Tree Champion.
How does one speak of the measure of the man? He was simply a truly lovely man. A friend to all who met him, Tim was socially outgoing, curious, observant, and inclusive, also dutiful, hardworking, thoughtful, nice, and wise. A true gentleman. One can go on….
Having served on numerous boards and committees, and as a founding member of the Newport Tree Society, now the Newport Tree Conservancy, he understood so well the value of a public private partnership, where he could serve as a limitless resource for the City and its residents about Newport’s trees. His appreciation of Newport’s historic landscapes and heritage trees helped the Tree Conservancy develop its vision to preserve, protect and replant a world class collection, Newport’s trees. A vision the Conservancy still carries on, thanks to Tim Brown.
It seemed that there was hardly a person that Tim did not know and like, there was not a landscape that he was not familiar with, and there was not a tree that he didn’t know and appreciate. There are special memories of Tim Brown that many will recall and cherish. In thinking of him I am reminded of the day he called me out of the blue, saying, “have you seen the Golden rain trees blooming?”. “No”, I said, not having any idea of what a Golden rain tree looked like, much less where to find one! (…Koelreuteria paniculata, I had to look it up…) “Well,” he went on, “they are on the hills off Brenton Road. You really shouldn’t miss seeing them”. Passing on a tip to grab the opportunity to see and appreciate something of special beauty was so typical of Tim, so generous, so friendly.
Newport will always have its Tree Champion. Tim leaves a legacy of giving, of kindness, and of leadership in appreciation for some of the most beautiful gifts of nature. He always said, ‘just look up and see the beauty of the trees, even in the winter, they are beautiful.’ So, drive down Coggeshall Avenue, along Morton Park, you will see some Golden rain trees overlooking the park, blooming now, or just look up and see the beauty of the trees and think of the man whose legacy will keep on giving to Newport, think of Tim Brown.
-Lilly Dick
Board President
Newport Tree Conservancy
