Oct. 17, 1972 – July 8, 2017

NATCHEZ — A memorial service for Coyle Sessions Brown, 44, who died Saturday, July 8, 2017,  at his residence in Orange Beach, Ala., will be 11 a.m., Thursday at First Presbyterian Church in Natchez with the Rev. Catherine Cook and H. Lee Jones officiating.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time in Stratton Chapel of First Presbyterian Church.

Sessions Brown was born Oct. 17, 1972, in Natchez, the son of Larry L. “Butch” and Shields Godfrey Brown.

Blessed with many attributes, Sessions was a member of a loving extended family with nurturing parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts.  He was a graduate of Trinity Episcopal Day School, where he demonstrated leadership ability as class president for all four years of high school.  He was also a member of the National Honor Society and the Key Club.

He received both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Mississippi.  After receiving his master of business administration degree, he moved to Memphis, Tenn., where he began his career as a municipal bond banker.

He was a lifelong active member of the Presbyterian Church.  After moving home to Natchez in 2010, he became a devoted member of First Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder and trustee.  If the church doors opened, he was there as an officer of the church, a greeter at the door, an usher and the most reliable provider of doughnuts for Sunday morning fellowship.  He cut the lights on and he cut the lights off.  He was affectionate, thoughtful, and loved by his family of kinship and his family of friends.

Sessions was preceded in death by a sister, Caroline Shields Brown and grandparents, Irene Shields Godfrey, Delores Turnbow, and Coyle Brown.

Survivors include his parents; beloved sons, Sessions Hite Brown and Shields Hutchison Brown and their mother, Mandy Barton Brown; one brother, Larry L. Brown, Jr. and wife, Mattie; grandfather, Dr. William E. Godfrey and wife, Rose; two uncles, William Edward Godfrey III and wife, Laura, and the Rev. Samuel Godfrey and wife, Patty; one aunt, Billie Smith and husband, John; one niece, Ansley Elizabeth Brown and her mother, Sasha Brown; two nephews, Larry L. Brown III and William Barrett Brown; three first cousins, William Edward Godfrey IV, Russell Godfrey and Kim Clements and husband, Mike; and extended cousins and their families, Ralph “Trippy” Shields III, Clare Shields and Tammy, Kathleen Taunton and husband, Mark, Ross McGehee, Thomas McGehee and wife, Nan, and Bruce McGehee and wife, Kathy.

Honorary pallbearers will be Walter Dawkins, Will Devening, William Godfrey, Adam Gwin, Spencer Holder, Charles Jones, Webster Miller, Derek Pyron, Colin Seibert and Judson Willard.

Memorial gifts may be sent to the First Presbyterian Church, 400 State St., Natchez, MS 39120 or to the Natchez City Cemetery Association, P. O. Box 1738, Natchez, MS 39121.