Visitation will take place Wednesday, Dec. 9, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, Md. The Mass of Christian Burial will take place Thursday, Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 10103 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring, Md. Brown will be interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
In honor of his spirit, Brown's family suggests a charitable contribution or donation of time may be made to charities that support people in need, a local blood center, or your local high school or college wrestling team.
Brown passed away Tuesday, Dec. 1 after suffering a severe stroke the previous weekend.
Allen Frederick Brown was born in 1947, growing up in Lock Haven, Pa. He attended the University of Maryland where he not only earned his bachelor degree, but also met his wife Nona. Brown later earned his JD law degree at Catholic University in Washington D.C. in the early 1970s. He then owned the restaurant Our Place on New Hampshire Ave. in the nation's capital before spending most of his professional career as a U.S. Government employee for the Civil Aeronautics Board and then the Department of Transportation. He had been retired for a decade.
Allen was devoted to college wrestling, an interest he developed growing up in Pennsylvania. During retirement, Allen served as College Editor for www.WrestlingReport.com, the amateur wrestling website founded by Bruce Closson. His most popular segments on the website were the college wrestler rankings that he maintained and his 'Wrestler of the Week' column. He spent seven years as an enthusiastic commentator and web broadcaster for matches at American University, tournaments hosted by the Eastern Wrestling League, and occasionally at the National Invitational Dual meets. He is well known by the national wrestling community as an avid blogger and wrestling historian. Allen is scheduled to be inducted into the Eastern Wrestling League Hall of Fame along with Closson in March 2016.
"In Pennsylvania and Maryland wrestling, he was an icon," wrestling writer Jamie Moffatt told InterMat. "He was very knowledgeable about college wrestling in that part of the country. He focused on college wrestling, especially Pennsylvania state schools such as Clarion and Lock Haven. He had a really good memory for matches."
"Allen Brown was one of those guys who makes a mark on wrestling but whose wrestling background was sparse," said Tom Elling, a two-time NAIA championships placer for Lock Haven and author of "PA Wrestling Handbook" who now shares his insights into the sport in the Keystone State with his Pennsylvania Wrestling website http://pawrsl.com.
"He dabbled on the mat somewhat when he was in junior high at Lock Haven. But it was at (then) Lock Haven State Teachers' College that he attended the college matches with his parents. His father was a professor at LHSTC, and it was the golden era of the small town wrestling. Fans would line up hours before the doors opened just to see the likes of Gray Simons, Jack Day, Fred Powell, Biff Walizer and many more wrestle against the Russ Houk-led Bloomsburg Huskies; Clyde 'Red' Witman's East Stroudsburg Warriors; and Frank Lignelli's Clarion Golden Eagles.
"Allen and his family were so taken with the Lock Haven Bald Eagles that even after they moved to Maryland, they'd make the several-hour trip back to almost every home meet.
"As a Lock Haven wrestler, I was aware of the Brown family, but I really didn't get to know him well until he brought Larry Nugent (then of USA Wrestling) to town to promote Larry's video- 'Legends of Pennsylvania Wrestling.' We traveled from Harrisburg to Wilkes-Barre to Erie to Clarion and other stops along the way. Allen amazed me with his knowledge of wrestlers. He seemed to know something about everyone we discussed. Just a name would spur a tale or two about matches he had seen them wrestle. He never seemed to forget a bout that he had witnessed.
"Allen was never one to seek the limelight. He often came to wrestling banquets unannounced, stopped by to say 'hello' then head back to Silver Spring, Md., without any fanfare. It was hard to find a photo of him, as he most often shied away from such.
"He became attached to Eastern Wrestling and the EWL. His rankings were well-thought out and accepted 'as good as any' by all of the coaches. He also did some broadcasting; it was his passion, and he didn't need a lot of notes. What he needed was in his head.
"To say he will be missed would be an ill-conceived cliche. He never sought the spotlight, but his insight and brilliance helped shine his persona upon those who knew the sport.
For someone who had no time on the mats, he certainly earned a spot in the annals of the sport. He was to have been inducted into the EWL Hall of Fame this spring. It is ironic that he will again be recognized for his contributions but will once again not appear in the limelight. Rest in Peace, Allen Brown."
"Allen was one of the most passionate and knowledgeable wrestling fans I've ever known," said Stephen Stonebreaker, writer and radio co-host for TakedownWrestle.com. "I'd spend hours on the phone with him, talking wrestling. Tried to stump him on wrestling trivia, but never succeeded. A great man, and a great friend. The wrestling world lost a beautiful human being. He will be missed."
Earl Smith, founder of d1wrestling.com, paid tribute to Brown at his website, writing, "As many people who read the various forums where he visited can attest, the man LOVED wrestling. Not just the best guys, not just the DI teams. I think that passion was evident in his posts. Even if you didn't know him personally you can feel it.
"In my time in the 'media' side of the sport, I can honestly say I've never met someone who was so selfless and genuine in his love for the sport," Smith continued. "While he was very eager to assist and lend his expertise, he never wanted to take a dime for his services and didn't want recognition. Anything he did for my website was out of his love for the sport and friendship."
Award-winning wrestling journalist Jason Bryant posted this tribute to Brown on Twitter: "Moment of silence for my friend, the late Allen Brown. Gruff as they come, but loved the sport of wrestling. He will be missed."
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