More detail on this person: Kenneth Lee Brown passed away on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at the
age of 68. He was a native of Sulphur, Louisiana and a resident of Baton Rouge. Ken was an active
member of First United Methodist Church. He graduated from LSU with a degree in Petroleum
Engineering in 1971, and received a M.S. in Contract and Acquisition Management in 1979. Kenneth
was an avid supporter of LSU football and loved his motorcycles. Ken is survived by his wife of 45
years, Carole Anne Brown; three daughters: Mary-Margaret Zabalaoui and her husband James
Zabalaoui of Huntsville, AL; Rebecca Valadie and her husband Toby Valadie of Baton Rouge; and
Catherine Collins and her husband Michael Collins of Slidell. He has 7 grandchildren; Ashleigh
Zabalaoui, Justin Zabalaoui, Helen Valadie, William Valadie, Elise Valadie, Julia Valadie, and
Kenneth Collins. Kenneth is also survived by his two sisters: Evelyn Brown Vincent and her husband
James Vincent; Susan Brown LeLeaux and her husband Mark LeLeaux. He was preceded in death by
his parents Lee and Inola Brown of Sulphur, and his sister Joyce Brown of Sulphur. Ken served more
than 22 years in the US Army, from which he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1988. He began as a
helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Then, he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. During his Army
career, he was responsible for building a Naval Air Facility in Sigonella, Italy, remediation of
nuclear waste at the nation's Pacific bomb test area at Enewetak, assistant chief of a project in
the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Affairs at Army Headquarters in
Washington, DC, and the final design and construction of the Red River Water Way as the Deputy
District Engineer of the Vicksburg District. Ken earned the respect of everyone with whom he served,
especially for his ability to apply a common sense decision making process to every situation. His
military service was recognized by the receipt of numerous awards and decorations that include the
Legion of Merit Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star,
the Humanitarian Service Award, the Army Commendation Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal,
and twenty-two Air Medals as well as others. Ken was President of BCG Engineering and Consulting of
Metairie. Under his leadership, his firm made substantial contributions to the improvement of flood
and hurricane protection in South Louisiana, particularly in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes. He was
an influential voice in the call for coastal protection and restoration initiative as he directed
efforts to address the beneficial use of Mississippi River sediment. Ken led the effort to obtain
the Congressional authorization necessary to establish the Southeast Louisiana Project (SELA), a
project that has resulted in significant improvement to the canals and pumping stations in Jefferson
and Orleans Parishes and will continue to result in improvement to these and other Parishes. Kenneth
will be remembered as a loving husband, father, brother and grandfather to his family. To all who
knew him throughout his life he will be remembered as a friend, mentor and, to some, a competitor
who possessed those traits of character, honesty and integrity we would hope to see in all. He will
be fondly remembered and missed. Visitation will be held Friday, August 10, 2012 from 1pm-3pm at
First United Methodist Church with memorial service at 3:00pm, 930 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge.
Published in The Times-Picayune from August 8 to August 10, 2012
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 01/11/2025
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association