David Cartwright Brown

David Cartwright Brown, 89, of Saint Clair Shores, Michigan, passed away suddenly on August 22, 2026

David was born on March 7, 1937, in Detroit, Michigan, to the late Orman E. and Rhea (Eddy) Brown.

He is survived by his son Michael, daughters Carolynne Perkins (Don) and Jacqueline; and his cherished grandchildren, Michael A. Brown, Sophia Brown and Catino Cammarata. He was preceded in death by Maureen A. Brown, his former spouse and lifelong companion.

David’s early years were spent growing up in Detroit. As an only child, he was spoiled with the attention of his many aunts (ten sisters of his mother Rhea!), uncles, and grandparents.

He attended Howe Military School in Lima (now Howe), Indiana graduating in 1954. David attended several reunions and Alumni Weekends at Howe.

In 1961, he married Maureen Ann Carson, and they raised their three children in Harper Woods, Michigan. David and Maureen became part of a neighborhood of lifelong friends. The Kien, Gilman, and Brinker families, all were raising kids about the same age, living next door and across the street from one another.

David spent his entire career evolving as a computer programmer. He started in the early years when a single computer filled an entire room and programming was done with punch cards. He worked for Michigan Bell Telephone Company in Southfield, Michigan. He also worked in downtown Detroit at Michigan Consolidated Gas Company.

David earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Business Administration in 1987 from Lawrence Tech. He was working full time when he decided to pursue the degree.

During his years with Compuware, David was responsible for many Y2K conversion projects, as he was a “mainframe” guy. He was outsourced to Ford Motor Company, Michigan Unemployment Agency, Detroit Medical Center, AAA Michigan, National Bank of Detroit, R.L. Polk Company, Kelly Services and General Motors Corporation. These were all short-term assignments in which he worked on coding, debugging and testing new software.

He enjoyed attending Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games with his daughter, Jackie, when the Compuware Ambassadors became the Detroit Junior Red Wings. They regularly attended games at Cobo Arena and Joe Louis Arena before the team was relocated to Plymouth as the Whalers. David continued to attend Whalers games and occasionally went on road trips to Canada with other fans to watch their away games. David and Jackie also attended many Michigan Tech Great Lakes Invitational Hockey Tournaments together.

David was an intelligent man who had a quest for continuous learning. He was an avid reader and subscribed to many various business, technical, political, and sci-fi publications. At 89, he was still preparing and filing his own tax returns. He setup, maintained, upgraded, and used his home computer and cell phone with a level of ease comparable to that of today’s Gen Z. A topic of the day that was on his mind and open for discussion was how AI was evolving and how it would change the workplace and our lives.

He enjoyed watching NFL Football. His Sundays were spent in front of the TV watching games. It was also a given that on Thanksgiving we would have a TV tuned to the Detroit Lions game. His mood for day often reflected whether the Lions won or lost.

David’s choice of pet was feline. For all of his life he owned a cat. Cats were a better fit for him because their need for social interaction was much less than that of a dog. He fed the birds and squirrels in his yard and kept well stocked with a 50-pound bag of peanuts in the basement.

David was a known jazz aficionado. His passion for jazz music was born in his youth when he learned to play the trumpet. His home and car were stocked with CDs of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, and many more.

While living in Farmington Hills, David and his neighbor participated in several Demolition Derby events. They would purchase old sedans and modify them to meet the safety requirements of the derby. This involved special seatbelts and fuel containers placed inside the vehicle to protect from impact. Drivers were required to wear helmets during the event. When the races were underway, participants smashed into each other’s vehicles until the last drivable vehicle was declared the winner.

But nothing matched his enthusiasm for classic cars, a lifelong passion that brought him great enjoyment. After his first retirement, he went back to work in his mid-seventies so that he could earn the money to buy his last classic sports car, a 2012 Camaro. He ordered a custom license plate for it that exclaimed LSTHURA.

David was a member of the Oaks Chapter of the Michigan Society of Son’s of the American Revolution (SAR). Through ancestry research, he traced several generations of his family history, finding a direct descendant who was a Revolutionary War Patriot. SAR honors our patriot ancestors by preserving American history, promoting patriotism and educating future generations about the founding principles of our Country. As a nod to his family history, David took up Cowboy Action Shooting.

More than anything, David loved his family. He never passed up an opportunity to gather with family, whether for a special celebration or to enjoy good food at one of his favorite Italian restaurants or burger bar.

David is also survived by his cousins Mike Fitzpatrick, Suzette (Fitzpatrick) Taylor, John Eddy, and Marion (Eddy) Krause. He was preceded in death by his cousin Judith Kitching. He will be greatly missed by his friends, and his orange tabby cat, Crimson.

A luncheon celebrating David’s life will be held on Thursday September 24th at Lakeland Manor on Harper Avenue in Saint Clair Shores from 11:30 to 4:00pm.