Donald J. Brown

Donald J. Brown, 71, of Jackson, passed away March 3, 2026, in Negril, Jamaica. The island and its wonderful people held a special place in his heart.

He was born June 23, 1954, in Cape Girardeau, son of Donald W. and Aletha Grant Brown. He married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Illers, on August 10, 1974.

Don was a lifelong member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson. He attended St. Paul Lutheran School and graduated from Jackson High School in 1972. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1977 and began his career as a local community pharmacist. For 41 years he served the communities of Jackson and Marble Hill at Jackson Rexall, Twin City Pharmacy and Jones Drug Store, retiring in 2018.

Throughout the years, he was a member of the Jaycees, Cape County Pharmaceutical Association, and Southeast Missouri Medical Center, Inc. At St. Paul Lutheran Church he served in many roles including Board of Evangelism, Board of Education, 100th Anniversary Committee, Early Childhood Development Committee, Long Range Planning Committee and the Endowment Committee.

Don had a deep love for travel, especially the beach, lake life and boating, but above all he cherished time spent with his family and grandchildren. He could always be found proudly supporting them at games, recitals and activities. These moments brought him great joy. His weekly breakfasts with his “breakfast buddies” and Wednesday night dinners with dear friends were times he truly enjoyed, filled with friendship, stories and connections.

Loving survivors include his wife of 51 years, Marilyn; children, Heather (Pee Wee) Bartels and Nathan (Brittany) Brown, both of Jackson; six grandchildren, Nolan and Holden Bartels, Joel, Lydia, AJ and Abigail Brown; sister, Tina (Bill) Presser and brother-in-law, Mark (Barbara) Illers. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Visitation will be held Sunday, March 29, 2026, from 11am until the time of service at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. Pastor Joshua Schmidt will officiate the funeral service at 2pm. A private family committal will follow at Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

If considering a memorial contribution, the family suggests St. Paul Lutheran School or St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Online condolences may be shared with the family by scrolling to the guestbook beneath this article.