Tribute to William Patrick Brown by Calixte George

WILLIAM PATRICK BROWN, commonly known, simply as PAT BROWN by Saint Lucians of all walks of life, belonged to LABORIA excellentus, a specie that included illustrious Laborians such as Sir Lennox O’Reilly, Sir Allen Fitzgerald Louisy, Dr. Greaham Louisy, Dr. Marie Louis Louisy, Dr. Pearce Louisy, Dr. Coventry ‘Venty’ Louisy, Dame Calliopa Pearlette Louisy, Learie Carasco (Rick Wayne), Dr. Vilna Louisy, Dr.Velon John, Wilkinson Oswald Larcher, Hilary Darcheville, and Agatha Jn. Panel.

Pat attended the Laborie Boys Primary School under Headmaster Testanier and although he was successful at the entrance examination to St. Mary’s College, he was unable to enter this famous institution because his family could not afford the sixteen dollars ($ 16.00) per term school fee, that was required for attendance in those days of the depression.

On leaving school he worked as an apprentice with his father, Mr. Daniel Mason, who with his white, well starched uniform and white shoes, was regarded as one of the best builder/stone masons in the country. His structures include the Carnegie Library, Clarkes’s Drugstore, the 7th Day Adventist Church in Castries, the outer walls surrounding the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception among others. Thus the genetic building DNA plus the practical building experience with his father, paid dividends later in Pat’s life.

Soon after the second World War, Pat, along with other young Saint Lucians like Charles Cadet, Greaham Louisy, John Compton, the Mason Brothers – Clendon and Maurice, Dunstan St. Omer and Claudius Thomas migrated to the Dutch Antilles to work at the Anglo-Dutch Shell Company. It was while working at the Oil Refineries that these young men were exposed to economic, scientific, social and historical literature and so assisted in their further education.

On return to Saint Lucia in 1951, Pat was able to obtain a job as an architectural and engineering draughtsman at the Public Works Department. While there, he was tutored by the well qualified and respected colonial engineer from Jamaica, Mr. Douglas Wint (Brother of the famous Jamaican athlete, Arthur Wint). Pat thus became a competent Engineer Assistant and was even transferred by the colonial government to assist the Public Works Department in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Pat pursued his formal training in the applied science of Engineering in the United Kingdom, terminating his studies at the prestigious Imperial College of the University of London. He took the pride in being a Diplomate of the Imperial College. After appropriate post graduate studies, he was awarded the Fellowship of the Institute of Structural Engineers (F.I.Struct.E.). As a true Caribbean man, Pat worked as a Civil Engineer in Monsterrat, Grenada and Barbados. He was engaged as an International Structural Engineer on large complex engineering projects in London, Boston and New York, the United States of America.

In his native Saint Lucia, he served as Chief Engineer with the Department of Public Works. One of his first major engineering home projects was the realignment and widening of the then narrow, torturous and dangerous Morne Road, which became of tremendous economic benefit to the nation, as it allowed the banana trucks to deliver their ‘green gold’ to the Castries Wharf much easier than previously.

Another engineering marvel was the upper Manoel Street Bridge (commonly called the PAT BROWN BRIDGE) crossing the Castries river. He was responsible for several other government funded engineering projects involving the building and construction of roads, Primary and Secondary Schools, Bridges (e.g Roseau), and government buildings.

On leaving the Civil Service, he provided structural Engineering Services to private sector clients as well as the public sector. He contributed significantly to the growth and expansion of the tourism sector particularly in projects at Rodney Bay and the Jalousie and Anse Chastanet Developments in Soufriere.

There is no doubt that Pat was highly regarded as a Supreme Engineer. He is considered to be the best Structural Engineer that Saint Lucia has produced and was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Saint Lucia Association of Engineers. A young Saint Lucian Structural Engineer Akhnaton St. Rose commented that by observing some of his structures, one can identify the class of the man.

He became a Member of the British Empire (M.B.E.) an award bestowed on him by Her Majesty the Queen, for meritorious contribution in “Engineering”. He was considered to be the patriarch of professionals in Saint Lucia.

Besides being knowledgeable in Mathematics, Physics and Engineering, Pat was a voracious reader and was “au courant” on a wide variety of subject areas such as History, Economics, Politics, Philosophy, Sociology and contemporary World Affairs. He has been a prolific columnist in the respected Saint Lucia newspapers – The Voice, Star and Crusader. His articles were varied and effective and have been erudite, profound, lucid, penetrating and insightful and always with an informative historical perspective.

He was a member of Neville Skeete’s LODGE comprising Conrad Darius James (Dr. Freezers), Richardson St. Rose, Blakes Theodore, Claude Griffith, Hilford Deterville, Desmond Skeete, Darnel Martial, Leo Clarke, Trevor Phillip and Calixte George. At ‘LODGE Meetings’ he demonstrated clarity of thought, an unusual ability to put his point of view with precision, and was analytical to a fault. He was a great communicator and was able to explain theoretical principles for a layman to understand. He was also very current on issues of the day and innovative with ideas. He was considered to be a master tactician and strategist.

Pat’s mind never aged. In fact when some members of the LODGE visited him at home about two weeks before his passing, we were amazed at his mental abilities under the circumstances. Even at that stage, he was giving instructions on beam sizes to a colleague. At our last LODGE meeting in his honour, someone posed the question: “when shall we all meet again?” – the answer was – given that with climate change, a topic that Pat was well versed in, that it will be in “lightening, thunder or in rain.”

He always ensured that his family had the best that he could afford. As a strong believer in the power of education, which he himself had experienced, he provided adequately for the education of his children to the highest level of their abilities. His love and devotion for wife, children, grandchildren, great grand- children was phenomenal.

He also showed a considerable measure of attention to his siblings and their families and his generosity to them all, showed no bounds.

Pat was very well known and respected throughout the towns, villages, hamlets and watering holes of the Saint Lucian community. His kindness and generosity to all will long be remembered.

MAY HE REST IN PEACE