RIDGELAND, S.C. - Gary Brown Sr., a former member of South Carolina House of Representatives, died Thursday. He was 73.

Brown was also a former president of the Jasper County Bar Association. Luke Brown Jr. says his brother should be remembered for his judicial expertise and his kindness.

"He was really an expert in law and was just a really kind person," Luke Brown Jr. said. "He never met a stranger."

Luke Brown, a retired circuit judge, said he remained close to his younger brother his entire life.

"Daddy was a pillar of the community," said his son, Gary Dorn Brown Jr. "He was proud of his accomplishments."

Gary Brown Sr. received his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He also belonged to the American Trail Lawyers Association and the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association.

"He was a big man with a big heart," said his niece, Kim Nelson.

Information from: The Beaufort Gazette