Paul W. Brown

Paul W. Brown, age 86, of Gulfport, passed away on August 18, 2026.

Paul was raised in the beautiful small town of Mount Dora, Florida where he graduated from high school in 1958. Following high school, he served two years active duty in the Navy Reserve. He then worked his way through college earning a masters degree in International Affairs at Florida State University in 1965. After graduation he spent two years in the Peace Corps working with rural cooperatives in Columbia.

His career included eight years as a California State Parole Agent and 20 years as a federal probation officer and administrator, four years as an adjunct instructor in criminal justice at the University of Texas, Pan American, and 17 years as a regular and reserve officer with the Gulfport Police Department. During his career, he earned an associate in arts degree in law enforcement from the College of the Desert and a masters in criminal justice from Fordham University.

His interests included blogging, a passion that began as a columnist at FSU, publishing several dozen articles on criminal justice, and gardening. For more than two decades he studied and taught various martial arts. At 59, he earned his second degree black belt in Shotokan Karate.

Paul is survived by the love of his life, Debbie Von Drak; his sister and brother-in-law, Barbara and John Ivey; nieces, Kristen Parsons and Tanya Nelson; nephews, Robby Brown and Kevin Ivey; and great-nieces, Johnnie, Kiera, and Ella.

A graveside service will be held in Biloxi national Cemetery.

The Riemann Family Funeral Home, Gulfport, is serving the family.