Alan (“Al”) Louis Brown died peacefully in his Las Vegas, Nev., home on Jan. 13, 2023, due to complications from Alzheimer’s. He was 83.
The consummate entertainer was born in 1939 in Reading, Pa., to John and Dorothy (Campbell) Brown. Alan grew up in Southampton, Pa., graduating from William Tennent High School, and attended Dennison University on a full scholarship majoring in English and theater.
Putting his acting career on hold, he married his first love, Barbara Eberz in 1961. To support his family Alan entered the construction business working for his uncle while managing to obtain a bachelor’s degree from La Salle University in 1964. That same year he graduated from Officer Candidate School at Lackland Air Force Base and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
He served six years of active duty, volunteering twice for tours in Vietnam, serving as a supply officer for 26 months at Nakhon Phanom R.T.A.F.B., Thailand. Alan served in uniform for a total of 28 years, retiring from the USAF Reserves in 1992 as a lieutenant colonel. His personal decorations included the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster, and various service and campaign awards.
Alan moved his family of five to Doylestown, Pa., in 1972. He worked in pharmaceutical sales and part-time for the Air National Guard at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station. He rekindled his love of acting by joining a theater group at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Doylestown. As a writer and actor, Alan helped the State Street Players become a highly successful fundraiser for the church, entertaining thousands of locals.
Alan’s passion for acting never waned from his first time on stage in elementary school. In the late 1980’s he joined the Huntington Valley Dinner Theatre. He performed as the first comic in “Sugar Babies” along with numerous other roles. He also perfected the role of master of ceremonies as an audience warm-up. Alan hired an agent, which launched his acting career working as an “extra,” doing voiceovers, TV and radio commercials and print work. He achieved his dream when he was cast in supporting roles in the films “Philadelphia,” “Beloved,” “Something the Lord Made,” “Red Dragon,” and “The Replacements.” His biggest TV role was on the short-lived series “Commander in Chief” where he played the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, Gen. Pollack, opposite stars Geena Davis and Donald Sutherland. Alan was a member of Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA.
Alan was divorced in 1990, met and married his best friend, Janet Newhart, on New Year’s Eve 2002. They moved to Washington, D.C., and later to Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. While continuing his acting career he accepted the job as the chemical emergency preparedness and prevention coordinator for the Environmental Protection Agency. Among other awards, he received the State of Maryland Governor’s Citation and National Notable Achievement Award.
But Alan’s breakout and best-known role was his five-season recurrence on the critically acclaimed television series for HBO “The Wire,” where he played the morally shady, irascible and vindictive Major Stanislaus “Stan” Valchek of the Baltimore City Police. In January, co-creator and writer of “The Wire,” David Simon, described Alan as a “competent professional, who knew his lines and hit his marks.” He called Alan “a gem,” who crew and cast alike enjoyed working with, and added that Alan’s portrayal of the power-hungry Valcheck was one of the most realistic parts of the show.
In addition to his wife Janet S Newhart, Alan is survived by his sister, Dr. Constance Brown; his brother John, his wife Jeanne and daughter Tracy; his son Christopher, his wife AnnTrisha Ramrattan; his son Timothy, his wife Teresa, and his daughter Jennifer, and her partner Bart Cerami. He has eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation at: https://t2t.org.
A committal service with military honors will be held at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, 830 Highland Road, Newtown, PA 18940 on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 at 11 a.m. The family has extended an invitation to the public to attend and asks anyone that does come to please be respectful of the occasion.
Send condolences to www.varcoethomasfuneralhome.com.
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