The funeral for Nelson C. "Coach" Brownlee, Sr., 70,
1880 Belleville Road, Orangeburg, will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday,
Feb. 6, 2003, at Trinity United Methodist Church, with the Rev.
Ernest C. Etheredge officiating.
Coach Brownlee passed away very quietly and peacefully Sunday,
Feb. 2, at his residence, after an extended illness.
Brownlee, the only son of the late Robert Elzer Brownlee and
Mrs. Janie Brownlee, was born July 5, 1932, in Orangeburg. "Juice,"
as he was affectionately known received his early education
in the Orangeburg public school system. He received his undergraduate
and graduate degrees at South Carolina State College, where
he majored in health and physical education and became an avid
tennis player.
Upon graduation, he entered the United States Army and served
for two years as a military policeman. He was also assigned
as a coach for dependent children at Bad Kreuznach, Germany.
His unparalleled coaching career began in 1958 at Mount Vernon
High School in Mount Vernon, Ga., and spanned a period of 42
years. Brownlee coached at Wilkinson High School for 14 years
and Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School for two years. He then
joined the Claflin University family, where he served as head
coach for the women's basketball team for 27 years. He was a
member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
His accomplishments include being the winningest coach in the
NAIA, 17 EIAC Championships, seven NAIA District VI Championships,
two-time Converses NAIA National Coach of the Year, two-time
NAIA runner-up, two-times NAIA semif-inalist, 12 national tournament
appearances, and six South Eastern Athletic Conference championships.
Recent accomplishments include obtaining his 600th win Jan.
22, 2000, against Morris College and being the 2000 EIAC Conference
Tournament Coach.
Nelson was married on Aug. 25, 1960, to the former Pearl Gaffney
of Orangeburg.
The family requests that donations be made to Claflin University's
Nelson C. Brownlee Athletic Scholarship Fund, and the Trinity
United Methodist Church.
