Obituary

Charles W. Brawn

Mon, 05/06/2019 - 10:30am

Charles W. “Eagle Spirit” Brawn, 71, of Hickory Drive, Wiscasset died April 26, 2019 at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick.

Charles was born on Feb. 5, 1948, a son of Fred S. and Gertrude F. (Skillin) Brawn Jr.

He grew up in the Woolwich area and graduated from Morse High School in the class of 1966. He graduated from Central Texas College in Killeen, Texas in 1971 with an associate degree in law enforcement. He graduated from the Texas Department of Public Safety Police Academy in 1972. He graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Academy in 1973.

Mr. Brawn enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1966 and served in Germany and Vietnam where he received many awards for valor and meritorious service as a helicopter crew chief. He joined the Sagadahoc County Sheriffs Department in 1973. He was appointed to the position of chief deputy sheriff in 1976 and was the youngest ever appointed in Sagadahoc County.

Mr. Brawn joined Bath Iron Works Security Department in 1978 where he served as a security investigator, armorer and sergeant for many years. He continued to serve as a reserve deputy sheriff until 1987. He also served as a town constable for the towns of Woolwich and Arrowsic.

He was a past member of the Woolwich Civil Defense Reserve Police, past member of the Woolwich Fire Department, and was an honorary life member and past commander of the Bradford-Sortwell-Wright Post #54 of the American Legion in Wiscasset. He also served as state judge advocate of the Department of Maine American Legion.

Mr. Brawn was a past Chef de Gare of Lincoln County Voiture #763 of the Forty and Eight. He was a life member of the Pittman-Morrison Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Bath, a life member of the Vietnam Helicopter Crewmembers Association, a life member of the Association of the 282nd Assault Helicopter Company (Black Cats), a founder and charter member of the Maine Vietnam Veterans Vigil Committee.

He was a Master Mason in Lincoln Lodge No. 3 of A.F. and A.M. in Wiscasset, and was a 32nd degree mason in the Scottish Rite Body of the Valley of Androscoggin.

Mr. Brawn was an avid sportsman and was a member of the Sportsman Alliance of Maine, the National Rifle Association, the Wiscasset Rod & Gun Club, a Hunter Safety Instructor and Range Safety Officer for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Independent Guards Association. He was an avid reader and proudly claimed that it was his only addiction.

Mr. Brawn was proud of his native American heritage and was a member of the Maine Eastern Tribal Indian Society where he served on the Grand Council of Elders. He was also a member of the Wik Wom Sun Ote Band of native Indians of New Brunswick, Canada.

He is survived by his wife, Deborah Ethier Brawn of Wiscasset; two daughters, Allison Stanley of Bath and Amanda Dean of Bath; stepson, Albert Hooper and his wife Traci of Roanoke, Texas; seven grandchildren, Andrew Dean of Bath, Jordan Stanley of Bath, Christopher, Alee and Joseph Johnson, all of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Shelby Gillespie and Zoe Hooper of Ft. Worth, Texas; three brothers, Arthur Brawn of Woolwich, Robert Brawn and his wife Faith of Limerick and Allen Brawn and his wife Ruth of Woolwich; many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

He was predeceased by his stepdaughter, Jean Hooper Johnson, and nephew, Raymond Brawn.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at Daigle Funeral Home, 819 High Street, Bath. Burial will follow at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Woolwich with military honors. Condolences may be made online at www.Daiglefuneralhome.com