Born 12/17/1927
Greenwich, Connecticut
Died 4/25/2023
Shelburne, Vermont
Details of services
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Hyde’s memory to the Lake Champlain Land Trust in Burlington, VT.
Kenneth Hyde Brownell passed away last Thursday April, 25, 2023 in Shelburne, VT. Hyde was the quintessential gentleman and one of the kindest, and warm-hearted individuals one could ever meet. Ironically known as “Grumpy” by his grandchildren, his love and dedication to his immediate family was paramount. With a warm smile for everyone he met, Hyde never uttered criticism or a negative comment. His incredibly pleasant demeanor radiated pure joy and happiness throughout his life.
Complementing his warm and friendly exterior, Hyde had an intense belief in the values of hard work, honesty and staying true to one’s word. He shied from attention, frowned upon pretentious behavior, and never regaled in his successes or exploits. Hyde embodied the phrase, “it’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game.” He was a man of deep character and conviction.
Born in 1927 in Greenwich, CT (notably in the hospital founded by his maternal grandparents), Hyde attended the Greenwich Country Day School, the Middlesex School (‘46) and graduated from Yale University (‘50) with a BA in History. He was incredibly well read with a particular interest in the history of the American West. Athletically very gifted he excelled at multiple sports growing up and rowed varsity lightweight crew at Yale.
After Yale, Hyde enlisted in the U.S. Navy and graduated from Officer Candidate School. He saw active duty during the Korean War serving as an Intelligence Officer with the VF-51 Aircraft Carrier Fighter Squadron. Following military service, Hyde earned an MBA (’55) from Stanford University.
In December, 1957 Hyde married the love of his life, Esther M. McAlpin (“Meadie”) in New York City and they settled in Greenwich, CT. Hyde then followed in his father’s footsteps and embarked on a career in the metals and mining industry.
Throughout his career he held executive positions with the American Smelting and Refining Company and Freeport Minerals Company. He rose to become the director of Global Sales and Marketing at Freeport where he applied his extensive knowledge of global metals markets. He traveled extensively cultivating business relationships and negotiating transactions in Europe, and Asia. Hyde retired from Freeport in 1981 at which time he and Meadie re-settled in North Yarmouth, ME.
Hyde served as a board member of numerous organizations including the Brunswick School, the Greenwich Field Club, the Greenwich Skating Club, the Bruce Museum and the Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME. Hyde was also a long time, and very active, member of the Verbank Hunting Club in Verbank, NY.
Above all, and throughout his life, Hyde was an avid outdoorsman. He loved his dogs and the sporting life, spending time camping, hunting or fishing with family members in tow. His boyhood summers working on a New Mexico sheep ranch instilled a deep love of the Western culture and lifestyle. August family vacations to western Montana and Wyoming became annual traditions. Trips to dude ranches included pack-trips and guided fishing excursions to many famous trout rivers throughout the West. An expert on firearms and ballistics, he spent countless hours in his workshop. He later traveled extensively with Meadie to expand his knowledge of wildlife and the natural world. Hyde was a passionate conservationist and a life-long member of countless environmental organizations.
Another cornerstone of his life was the beloved family cabin in the Adirondacks. The cabin and its natural surroundings provided a calm and quiet sanctuary for Hyde to spend time with family and pursue his many hobbies.
In 2010, Hyde and Meadie moved to Wake Robin in Shelburne, VT to be closer to family and the cabin in the Adirondacks. Hyde is survived by his brother Jonathan of North Devon, UK, his three sons; Ken (Peggy), Tom (Carole), George (Beth) and grand-children Josie, Louise, and Fritz along with many nieces and nephews. He was pre-deceased in 2016 by Meadie, his wife of 57 years, and his sister Ann Thomas in 2002.
Hyde would prefer that those who cared about him do something kind, greet a stranger with a smile, or let someone else go first in line. In his honor, remember him in a blue button-down shirt, go play a game of tennis, or raise a glass to a life well lived.