York County business owner Stan Brown called a “patriarch,” and a savvy businessman

Stan Brown, 84, the man behind family-owned Brown’s Orchards & Farm Market of Springfield Township in southern York County, died Saturday after a battle with cancer, his family said.

“In Loving Memory, Stan Brown, 1933-2017,” the market’s Facebook page said Monday.

Since its founding in 1948, Brown’s has gone from being a roadside stand into becoming one of the region’s top family destinations for gifts, produce and homemade baked goods.

Brown’s has been owned and operated by three generations of the Brown family, it added.

“Stan was the epitome of a hard-working, successful man,” Anne Druck, president of the York County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Monday. “Quality and service are keys to their popularity, and he was at the heart of it.”

He grew an agriculture business into “a welcome third place” for customers, following home and work, she said.

“Over the years, he never stood still. He was savvy to his customer’s desires, and tweaked his offerings to appeal to them,” Druck added.

“York definitely lost a patriarch,” said Kevin Schreiber, president and CEO of the York County Economic Alliance.

“He has been a business and community icon. It’s certainly a sad moment in York’s history. We are so much better for having had him,” Schreiber added.

Brown’s parents Earl and Margaret Brown had started the family business in 1948 on a 35-acre fruit and poultry farm in rural Loganville. His parents learned to grow fruit with the advice of orchard sales reps and Penn State Extension Service agents, Brown wrote in a history on the business webpage.

“I came to cherish the rolling land and the challenges of growing quality fruit, and decided to work with my parents,” he wrote.

Brown had married his wife Nona in 1954, and his son Dave has been president of the business since 2012, the history stated.

Dave Brown sent a message to employees on Saturday, stating, “He fought a very courageous battle.

“I will share more of our gratitude to all of you and some stories along this journey, but I wanted to share with you that our hospice group provided an angel who played a harp for 90 minutes for dad and family last night,” he said. “Dad hummed in tune to some of the songs he knew. He was aware and we were able to share our love with him. He was at peace.”