A sad day for Weldon.

That’s how Mayor Julia Meacham described the death of Dock M. Brown, a member of the town board for 12 years.

“For Weldon, he was one of its most outstanding citizens,” Meacham said. “He was a person who spoke up for the improvement and rights of underprivileged citizens of Halifax County. He always stood up for the underdog.”

One thing Meacham will always remember is Brown’s smile. “He had a friendly smile. He was always very gracious. He was a very humble person.”

Throughout his life Brown received honor after honor and had the town’s post office named after him. “I’m sure will do something to honor him,” Meacham said.

“He was a mover and a shaker. He was able to get things done,” said former Weldon board member Andy Whitby.

Brown sits next to Congressman G.K. Butterfield before the ceremony.

Former Weldon Mayor Johnny Draper was at a hospital board meeting this morning when Halifax County Commissioner Vernon Bryant shared with him a text message Brown, 81, died.

“We were good friends,” Draper said. “I’ve been friends with Dock a long time. I’ve lost a very good friend.”

Brown, Draper said, “Touched the lives of many people in Halifax County. He was in the state legislature, he was a town board member and county commissioner. He’s done so much for the African American people. He was a person who really loved people. He always looked out for the person who needed looking out for.”

Many people didn’t understand Brown, Draper said. “They didn’t know the Dock Brown I knew. A lot of people thought he pulled the race card all the time. If you grew up in his era you might feel the same way.”

Draper said Brown told him a story about when he got out of the army. He was $300 short of having enough money to buy a new car. “When he went to the bank he sat down and was told they couldn’t help him.”

Brown was a quiet man during town board meetings, Draper recalled. “He kind of didn’t say an awful lot. He would give it thought and saw both sides if you gave him both sides.”

There were times on the board when the two didn’t agree, the former mayor said. “He always said politics is the art of negotiation.”

One of the highlights of his friendship with Brown was the day in 2008 when the Weldon Post Office was named after him. “I knew he was proud. I was proud for him. He just smiled and smiled, enjoying the people being there.”

Draper said he questioned Brown for deciding to run for a state seat in Raleigh and leaving his board of commissioners seat behind. “I asked him didn’t he realize how important he was to the people of Halifax County. He said, ‘That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop working for them.’”