John "Mr. Aljo" Burton Brown

On September 18, 1946, John Burton Brown was born to Betty Jean Brown and Burton Cannon in Salisbury, Maryland. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 43 years, Altonia Epps Brown, one brother, Ronald Bernard Brown, and a daughter Scheron Yarbray.

John received his education in the Wicomico County School District in Salisbury Maryland, graduating from Salisbury High School in 1966, where he was a member of the high school basketball team. He served two years in the United States Navy in the Great Lakes area. He relocated to Chester, Pennsylvania to join his family in 1968.

John was employed at Scott Paper Company, worked as a crane operator at Baldt Anchor & Chain and, once that business folded, he became an entrepreneur and opened his corner store at 3rd and Lloyd Streets in Chester, known as “ALJO” (where he was loved by many in the community). John and Altonia later bought a home in Wilmington, Delaware, and joined the Union Baptist Church family on November 8, 2009. Shortly after retiring from his corner store, John bought a box truck and began a moving business where he helped people move furniture and other big-ticket purchases to new locations in Wilmington. The store and trucking business’ name, “ALJO,” was a combination of the first two letters of his and his wife’s first names (Altonia and John).

John is survived by a daughter, Alma Rice (Anthony), and four sisters, Patricia Williams, Geraldine Lee (David), Wanda McIntyre (Jerome), Sheila Dougherty (Lawrence), and one brother, William E. Handy, III. John was known as “Pop-Pop” to Candace Weaver (Jeremy), Courtney Clark (Joseph Trevett), Syderra Rice, Carmella, Byron, Aaziera, Jasai, and his newest great-grandson, Roman. He was known and loved as “Uncle John” by a host of nieces and nephews.