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Bert Browning, businessman and downtown leader, dies in Saluda

Bert Browning

SALUDA —Albert S. "Bert" Browning III, who drove a milk truck in Hendersonville starting at age 14 and grew up to become a successful business leader in Hendersonville, died suddenly at his home in Saluda on Monday. He was 85.

Browning was sitting with his new bride, Dana Carpenter Browning, at their home when he died.

Born on Sixth Avenue in downtown Hendersonville in 1929 to Sara and Bert Browning Jr., he drove a milk truck through town regularly at age 14, while younger drivers helped at home during WWII. He earned his pilot’s license as a teenager and graduated from the ROTC program at Hendersonville High School in 1948. After graduating from N.C. State University in 1952, he was directly commissioned as an Army lieutenant and served as a medic. Browning started his career with Merrill Lynch in Charlotte. He was promoted in 1967 to their New York headquarters as a manager migrating the paper recordkeeping of the largest U.S. investment firm to computers.

Browning left corporate life and came home to Hendersonville in 1975 when he renovated the building on the northeast corner of First and Main. He was instrumental in the federal designation of our Historic Downtown area. This brought the serpentine road design with its planters and benches that fostered the rebirth and added charm to the active business district. The Browning Title insurance agency served on the corner for more than 25 years during a time of tremendous growth in Henderson County. An upstairs loft in the building is being featured this month in a designer tour sponsored by the city of Hendersonville.

Browning spent his retirement in Saluda and was woven into the community socially and spiritually. One of the first things he did there was to help stabilize the library. Bert was a joyful and intelligent man, believing that we are all expressions of God. He studied numerous religions, cultures and philosophies. He enjoyed cooking for others and spoke from the heart to encourage and mentor friends of all ages.

He is survived by Dana Feaster Browning, his wife of four months, with whom he shared a gentle peace and true love in his final days; his sister Virginia Turner of Hendersonville; three sons: Parker Browning, a tax advisor in Hendersonville; Tom Browning, a software engineer in Bellevue, Wash.; and Sidney Browning, a financial planner who lives in Alpharetta, Ga. with his wife, Alia, and Bert’s grandchildren, Laila (18) and Benjamin (15).

In lieu of flowers or donations, the family asked friends of Bert Browning to mentor a youth, be generous and tell their friends that they love them.

There will be a private family service and memorial celebration for those who loved and supported Browning in the coming weeks. Remembrances may be sent to Sidney at sidneybrowning@bellsouth.net.

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Information was provided by McFarland Funeral Home in Tryon.