John Harrell Brownlee

John Harrell Brownlee was a man of great spirit and enormous intellect. He was devoted to family and friends and lived his life with integrity and generosity. His mind was quick and keen, entertaining friends with wit and humor—tackling challenges at work with insight and ingenuity. Born July 9, 1956 to John Lawrence Brownlee and Betty Harrell Brownlee, he was a National Merit Scholar and a summa cum laude graduate in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He had a long, distinguished career in the area of telecommunications. During John's career, he worked several years with Nortel in Norcross, GA, focusing in digital design of Nortel’s AccessNode product. Later, John worked 10 years with Ciena Corporation in Alpharetta, GA, where he helped advance technology in the long-haul transport and core switching areas. As a testament to his contributions as an engineer, he is the holder of numerous patents and awards. Not only was John highly respected by his peers, but was also loved by all who worked with him. John lived courageously with cancer for many decades, refusing to allow the disease to dominate his life. He leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife, Anita Wathen Brownlee; mother, Mrs. John Lawrence Brownlee; brother, Bruce Cresswell Brownlee and Susan Neighbors Brownlee and niece Audrey Laurel Brownlee; sister, Amanda Brownlee Rice and husband John Francis Rice and nephews Daniel Patrick and Jonathan Lawrence Rice; and many other relatives and a host of devoted friends. Funeral services will be at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Atlanta. Family and friends will receive visitors Monday, August 20th from 6:00-7:45pm with a service to follow at 8:00pm. A funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, August 21st, at 11:00am, with a burial service the following day at Fain Cemetery on Dews Point Road in Calhoun, Georgia. In lieu of flowers the family requests that remembrances be made to the John Harrell Brownlee Memorial Scholarship Fund Georgia Institute of Technology 177 N. Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30332, attention Jeanne McKown, Associate Director Development Stewardship. You may sign the online register book or express private condolences at WWW.thomasfuneralhomecalhoun.com. Thomas Funeral Home has charge of the local arrangements.