Ronald Carey Brown, 76, of Virginia Beach, passed away on Jun 27, 2021. After several weeks of acute illness, in hospital and hospice care, his family gathered around his bedside, hearing him say, “I love you all.” Carey was born near the end of WWII into a family of West Pointers. While his father, Col. Charles E. Brown (then Lt. Col.), was with the 6th Armored Division in France, his mother, Lorraine J. Brown and Carey’s brother awaited his birth in Tacoma, Washington, where Lorraine’s father was the Executive Officer at Fort Lewis. Growing up at army posts in the U.S. and in Germany, young Carey moved frequently and made friends easily. Carey’s lifelong interest in amateur radio began in his early teens when a neighbor taught him Morse code and the theory necessary to get his operator’s license. From his closet, pantry, garage, automobile, or out in a field, he made contacts and friends all over the world. He especially enjoyed CW (i.e., communicating by morse code) and contesting, and participated in organizations to include the ARRL, FOC, and was a founding member of the USS Wisconsin Radio Club. His calls signs over the years were K1MEG, W4HIR and KT4P. His loyal ham friends helped keep him operating almost to the end. Anyone wishing to make a memorial donation might consider the Amateur Radio Relay League ( https://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form ). Suggested recipient programs aligned with Carey’s interests are the Spectrum Defense Fund or the W1AW Fund. After high school, he attended college briefly, and then joined the Army for a three-year stint working in intelligence at Ft. Holabird, MD, Ft. Sill, OK, and Seoul, Korea. During this time, his brother, a recent West Point graduate, died in Vietnam. Carey returned to George Mason, where he met his wife, Jeanne. They married, started a family, and Carey began work as a supervisor for “Ma Bell”, which over his career of 31 years evolved from C&P Telephone to Bell Atlantic and ultimately Verizon. At 58, Carey suffered a stroke, which resulted in vascular dementia and many years of declining health. His family is grateful to the many medical professionals who provided care and support. Special thanks to Mila and Ben Tendilla in whose home and care Carey lived for the past seven years and to their niece, Letty Tamayo, who personally attended to his needs. Carey is survived by his wife and their four children, Michael (wife Julie), Laura, David (wife Christine) and Kara (fiancé Adam), seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Comforted by the knowledge that, as an adult, Carey renewed his faith in Christ, we trust that his soul is with God in a place where there is no more sadness or pain. A private funeral service is planned at Church of the Ascension, followed by inurnment in the church columbarium.