12/08/2025
Orvil A. Brown
Orvil A. Brown, age 91, born July 25, 1934, in Hamilton, Ohio, passed away peacefully on December 6, 2025, leaving behind a legacy rooted in hard work, learning, and a deep love for the land and the people around him.
Orvil’s early years were spent in the neighborhoods of Hamilton, attending first grade at St. Veronica’s before moving to Lindenwald, where he continued his schooling. In his last two years of high school, his family moved to a small farm on Morris Road, a place that he often looked back on fondly as part of the journey that shaped him. As a teenager, Orvil worked at a jewelry store, already showing the strong work ethic that would follow him throughout his life. He graduated in 1952 from Hamilton Catholic High School. After high school, Orvil worked at Niles Tool & Die as well as Champion Paper.
In 1954, Orvil and his parents purchased a farm that would become the heart of their family story. Together they shared their farm experience with relatives and friends, creating lifelong memories of feeding animals, riding the family pony, Billy, baling hay, and countless other cherished moments that shaped the lives of everyone who visited. The farm was a place of joy, learning, and connection—a true gathering place for all who loved Orvil and his family.
Farming became one of Orvil’s great callings—work that not only provided for his family but also shaped his values of patience, stewardship, and care for all living things.
Answering the call to serve, Orvil joined the United States Navy in 1952, and served on active duty from 1957 to 1959. His time in the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas on the USS Curituck and USS Hermitage, was a source of pride, and he carried the lessons of discipline and service with him for the rest of his life.
After retiring from farming, Orvil pursued a new chapter that combined his love of the land with his passion for teaching. He became a horticulture instructor at Butler Tech, where he shared his lifetime of knowledge with students eager to learn. His teaching career was enriched by his earlier work with the Ohio State University Extension Office, experiences that helped him guide countless future growers.
Orvil’s commitment to community and education extended beyond the classroom. He was honored with a Kentucky Colonel award for his leadership in creating a community garden for seniors—an initiative that reflected his belief that growth, learning, and connection are for every stage of life.
Orvil’s catholic faith was very important to him and he was longtime member of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Trenton, Ohio.
A lifelong learner, Orvil surrounded himself with books on everything that grows—plants, animals, and people. His curiosity, gentleness, and generosity of spirit touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
Orvil is preceded in death by his mother, Audrey Pugh, and his step-father, Vandilore Pugh. He is survived by his beloved family Kristin Howard, Farrell Danz, Elizabeth Olson, Lourdes Parker, Verona Danz, Marcelle Danz, many cousins, including the Forrest family and his dear friends who were like family to him, including Chuck and Tammy Gallagher, the Fruth family, the Beiser family, and the Schenck family.
Orvil A. Brown will be remembered as a farmer, a teacher, a veteran, a mentor, a storyteller, a true jokester and a man who gave fully of himself to his community and family. His legacy continues to grow in the gardens he nurtured, the students he taught, and the lives he touched with his quiet wisdom and enduring kindness.
May his memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved him.
Funeral service will be held at Holy Name of Jesus, 222 Hamilton Ave., Trenton, Ohio, on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM with Fr. Benjamin Mersch, Celebrant. Burial will follow at St. Stephen Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the church.
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