Major General Norma Elaine Brown, USAF Retired, passed away on July 22, 2003 while on vacation in Cheyenne, WY. Cause of death was pulmonary embolism. She was 77 years old.

General Brown was a native of Florida but she had adopted San Antonio, TX as her home and had lived in the Leon Springs community since her retirement from the Air Force in 1982.

After graduation from Florida State University in 1949, General Brown taught physical education in middle school and high school for two years in Lake City, FL. She entered the Air Force in December 1951 when a force buildup was in effect for the Korean Conflict. At that time she was one of approximately 13,000 women in the Air Force. In the following years she served as a personnel officer and WAF Squadron Commander at a variety of bases in Washington, DC; San Antonio, TX; England, Taiwan and Newfoundland. In 1972 after promotion to Colonel she became commander of the 6970th Air Base Group at Fort George G. Meade, MD, and in 1974 she became the first woman wing commander when she assumed command of the 6940th Security Wing at Goodfellow, AFB, San Angelo, TX. In 1977 she was promoted to Brigadier General and assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel and Manpower, Air Force Logistics Command, Wright Patterson AFB, OH. Two years later, after promotion to Major General, she assumed command of Chanute Technical Training Center, Rantoul, IL. She retired in August 1982 after 32 years service.

Her military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal. Additionally in 1982 she received the Order of the Sword from the enlisted members of Air Training Command in recognition of her dedicated support of the enlisted force. Also, the USAF Security Service Alumni Association elected her to their Hall of Honor in 1993.

She was selected a member of the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame in 1986, and she was named a Florida State University "Grad Done Good" in 1980. She holds an honorary degree in Philosophy from MacMurrary College, Jacksonville, IL. After retirement from the Air Force, General Brown served on the Board of Directors of Government Employees Insurance Corporation (GEICO) until retirement in 1994.

General Brown was preceded in death by her son, Timothy Crewe of San Antonio; grandchildren, Samantha Ramos and Micaela Ramos of San Antonio; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Brown of Madison, FL and two sisters, also from Florida.

She is survived by her daughter, Denise Crewe Ramos; son-in-law, Stefen Ramos; grandson. Zachary Ramos of San Antonio and sister, Louise Smith of Jacksonville, FL.

Visitation will be Sunday, 5:00-8:00 P.M. at Mission Park Funeral Home on Cherry Ridge. Funeral Services will be Monday at 11:00 A.M. at Leon Springs Presbyterian Church, Rev. Gene Horne officiating. A Private Burial will be held at a later date. Memorials may be sent to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or to the Leon Springs Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund. Mission Park Funeral Chapels North.

Notice of death was provided by Darr King to Airlee Owens, who is the webmaster for the Silent Warriors web site.

Obituary came from the San Antonio Express-News.