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Williamsburg Funeral Home
Williamsburg Funeral Home
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08/17/1939 – 11/10/2021
Florence
Funeral Services
Funeral services will be 11 AM, Saturday, November 13, 2021, in St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1629 W. Palmetto Street, Florence, SC, followed by burial in Cedar Swamp United Methodist Church Cemetery, Cedar Swamp Road, Kingstree, SC.
Memorials
Memorials may be made to Cedar Swamp United Methodist Church, c/o Mrs. Myra Nuttall, 272 Cedar Swamp Road, Kingstree, SC 29556 or McLeod Hope Fund, c/o McLeod Health Foundation, PO Box 100551, Florence, SC 29502-0551.
Mr. Rufus Maxwell Brown was born in Kingstree, SC and was the oldest of four boys born to a farmer, Ruie M. Brown, and a schoolteacher, Janette Grayson Brown. He grew up on the farm, learning the value of hard work and developing a love for nature.
Rufus graduated from Kingstree High School in 1957 and enrolled at Clemson A&M College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Forest Management. He joined the Army Reserves and spent his active duty at Fort Jackson. The day after leaving Fort Jackson, he began full time work with the U.S. Forest Service in LA, MS, and SC. In 1968, he began his career with Allstate Insurance, serving the greater Florence area until he sold his business to his son-in-law and entered semi-retirement in 2000.
Rufus was a life-long United Methodist and a member of St. Paul UMC in Florence and Cedar Swamp UMC in Kingstree. He served on several church committees, and at one time was Administrative Board Chairman. He was also passionate about his love for Clemson, serving as an IPTAY Representative and the Florence County IPTAY Chairman for several years.
Mr. Brown believed in conservation of our natural resources and practiced this stewardship on the family farm. He was a proud member of the NRA and was Vice Chairman of the Florence Friends of the NRA for many years. He also served on local and state committees of Ducks Unlimited in various capacities for 25 years. His fondest hobbies in retirement were trapping beavers and planting various foods for the wildlife on his farm. One of his greatest joys was hosting his annual opening day dove shoot and giving his famous, or infamous, safety speech.
He will be missed tremendously by his children and grandchildren, other family members, and everyone on his flowers or bar-b-que delivery lists. He was preceded in death by his brothers Terry Brown of Savannah, GA, and Grayson Brown of Augusta, GA. He is survived by his brother Allison Brown of Kingstree, SC, daughter Susan Brown Liles (Richard), son Doug Brown (Christie), grandchildren Zachary Liles (Savannah), Sara Kate Brown, Rachel Franzmann (Merritt), Annalise Brown, Gipson Brown, and Sam Beals. Rufus also loved his nieces and nephews Leon, Todd, Ashley, Hunter, Michael, Shelley, Caroline and their children, and loved and was loved by numerous cousins and extended family and friends in the Cedar Swamp Community.
Funeral services will be 11 AM, Saturday, November 13, 2021, in St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1629 W. Palmetto Street, Florence, SC, followed by burial in Cedar Swamp United Methodist Church Cemetery, Cedar Swamp Road, Kingstree, SC. Memorials may be made to Cedar Swamp United Methodist Church, c/o Mrs. Myra Nuttall, 272 Cedar Swamp Road, Kingstree, SC 29556 or McLeod Hope Fund, c/o McLeod Health Foundation, PO Box 100551, Florence, SC 29502-0551. Online condolences may be sent to the family on the obituary page at www.WilliamsburgFuneralHome.com.
I’m so sorry for your loss, everyone is in my thoughts and prayers.
I am so sorry to read about Mr. Rufus. He was always so happy. I enjoyed him coming into the Bank and talk about what he was doing in Kingstree that day. When he would leave he always said he was going to lock the gate to Cedar Swamp to make it a private community. He will be missed and I pray God will help you through this difficult time.
Mr Rufus was a wonderful man, we knew him from him providing our home and auto insurances for many years. He will be greatly missed. Sending prayers and condolences to his family and friends. Fly high Rufus🕊️
Susan, Doug and Family: So sorry to lose my friend Rufus. We shared a lot of wonderful times together, beginning with our time at Clemson. We will surely miss him. May God grant comfort to those of us who mourn.
Our prayers are that God’s strength will be yours as you grieve the loss of your dad. We have lost a friend.
Susan, Doug and Family: So sorry that we lost Rufus. He was a friend to many, and we will surely miss him. May God grant comfort to those of us who mourn his death.
To Family & Friends of Rufus Brown,
I met Rufus in the 1990s. He was always kind, considerate, & sharing. He will be remembered & missed. May GOD Grant you Grace.
ed davis
Mr.Rufus was such a genuine great man. Mr.Rufus and my father Frederick Dukes always joked and cut up with each other about one being from Kingstree and one from Greeleyville and of course they both loved Clemson . Thoughts and prayers for the family
Sorry for your lost. Rufus was a great man and will be missed by all. He was our family insurance agent for many years. My father, Rembert Morris, really enjoyed talking to Rufus about the farm and everything that he did. He was a kind man and never met a stranger. I will always remember the stories he told. May God be with you during this time.
Rufus’s Family : Sorry for your loss. Knew Rufus for over 40 years. He was a good friend and a remarkable person. My prayers for y’all. May God comfort y’all now and always as only He can. Prayerfully, Danny Talbott
Rufus was a good man and loved his family. He will be missed by all.
Thank you all for these great comments. We appreciate you taking the time to do so. He was a great daddy and Susan and I will sure miss him but so glad we had him!