ONEONTA - John Edward Brown, 73, of Oneonta, passed away July 22, 2020, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown.

He was born June 22, 1947, in Taylorville, Illinois, to Alvin and Lois (Weller) Brown. He grew up in nearby Morrisonville, the youngest of six children.

John is survived by his beloved daughter, Maureen Kinne (Devin) of Norwich; sisters, Vonia Serakos (Leo) of San Antonio, Texas, and Jackie Epley of Springfield, Ill.; sisters-in-law, Diane and Elisabeth Brown; granddaughter, Lucy Kinne; and many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents; brothers, Darrell and Richard; and sister, Betty.

Known as "JB" or "Jump" to many, John kept up with his hometown friends and former classmates for decades after he moved away from Illinois. Growing up, he was a popular, stylish young man who was known to play pranks on neighbors.

After high school, John attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale for a short time with plans to pursue a degree in computer engineering. Instead, he entered the U.S. Army in 1966 and was sent to Vietnam. He was honorably discharged in 1969. Later in life, he suffered ailments related to his exposure to Agent Orange.

John married Carol Thompson in 1969. They later divorced.

He lived for many years in San Diego, California, and worked as a mortgage underwriter for Clayton Group and other companies.

He loved photography, music, canoeing, fishing and camping. For many years, he cultivated tropical fish in a large home aquarium. He was a devoted "Star Trek" fan and loved Jimmy Buffett.

To be close to his daughter, John moved to the East Coast in 1996. He lived in Oneonta for the remainder of his life.

Arrangements are by the Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Funeral Home, Oneonta. There will be no service.

John's family requests that donations in his memory be made to the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation.