David G. Brown ’76
David G. Brown ’76 died January 19, 2024, in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, where he was well known as a painter, teacher, and farmer at the landmark Hay House Farm, regarded as the oldest structure of its kind east of the Mississippi. He graduated from Old Saybrook High School, attended Middlebury College, and took a break to travel across Asia for a year. He then transferred to Dartmouth, where he studied climate change, graduating with a degree in geography. He returned to Nepal and taught art and English for two years in a Tibetan refugee camp. Later, he worked for UNICEF and the India Department of Tourism as a photographer. Back in the United States, he worked as operations director for the Tibetan Cultural Center of Connecticut. From 1987 to 1991 Brown taught American history at the Hammonasset School in Madison, Connecticut. In October 1991 Brown hosted the Dali Lama and the Tibetan cabinet and toured them around New Haven, Connecticut. At the end of 1992, Brown helped bring 20 Tibetan families to Old Saybrook. In 1999, Brown got serious about painting, and in 2001 his work was displayed at the Discovery Museum and in 2004 he was featured at the Florence Griswold Museum. Brown served for four years on the Old Saybrook board of education. He was a sustainable farmer in Old Saybrook, selling arugula, eggs, flowers, jams, and other produce at the Chester Farmers Market. He is survived by sister Audrey, brother-in-law Peter, and nephews Aaron and David.
