William S. Browne, Jr.

William S. Browne, Jr., 75, died on Sunday, April 22, 2018, after surviving cancer for six months. Born in Trenton, Bill and his parents, Isabelle Higgins Browne, a Flemington native, and William, Sr., originally of Ringoes, lived at 186 Main Street with Bill’s grandparents Judiah and Bertha (Rittenhouse) Higgins, until the family moved to a small horse farm on Old Clinton Road. Bill descended from John Hart, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Bill’s parents and his younger sister, Susan, predeceased him. His wife, Margaret Wallace Browne and his youngest sibling, Harry Hart-Browne, survive as do Bill’s sister-in-law, Mary Wallace, and his brothers-in-law Edward Wallace and Timothy Wallace, along with their spouses and children. He is also survived by his beloved poodle, Ruby. Bill graduated from South Kent School in Connecticut before attending the University of Virginia. He also attended the New School before serving in the U.S. Army at Fort Campbell near Nashville. Bill acquired an appreciation of country music and in 1963 he became one of the earliest fans of Bob Dylan’s music. He also loved the music of the Caribbean. Bill was an underwriter in the surety business, first for the Home Insurance Company and then for W.R. Berkeley Group eventually retiring after 40 years in 2008. Bill married Margaret Wallace in 1972. The couple lived in Manhattan and acquired Bill’s childhood home in Flemington in 1979 where they spent their weekends until 2006 when they began living full time in Flemington. They visited Barbados for several decades, and, in recent years, spent much of the winter there. Bill was an enthusiastic gardener and cook. He had been part of the Flemington 4-H sheep club in his youth and he owned horses for many years. Bill shared his knowledge of nature and cooking generously with his extended family. A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 28, 2018, at 11 AM in the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ 08822. Interment will be in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Flemington, NJ. Memorial contributions may be made to Hunterdon Hospice, 2100 Wescott Drive, Flemington, NJ 08822 or to the Hunterdon County 4-H Sheep Club, PO Box 2900, Flemington, NJ 08822. Please visit www.holcombefisher.com for further information, or to send condolences.