Jeremy Thomas Brown

Jeremy Thomas Brown, 42, died suddenly on Thursday July 6, 2023 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. At the time of his death, Jeremy was on vacation and was in the company of great friends.

Born March 10, 1981 in Memphis, TN, Jeremy was the first child of Thomas and Jeannine Brown. When Jeremy was 3 years old, his sister Emily was born. Around that same time, Jeremy began learning to use the Apple IIe computer and also began learning to play the violin. Jeremy attended school at St. George’s Day School in Germantown, TN from kindergarten through 6th grade. At his 6th grade graduation, Jeremy received an award for time spent unselfishly in the computer room. He was also active in the chess club and taught others to play chess. In the 7th grade, Jeremy began attending school at Memphis University School (MUS) where his father was also a teacher. At MUS he was active in the pep band, fencing club, photography, and the acapella group Beg To Differ. As a violinist in the Memphis Youth Symphony Orchestra, Jeremy had the opportunity one summer to tour and perform throughout Italy. Jeremy graduated from MUS in 1999, receiving recognition and awards from the Red & Blue Society, Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society, and the Scott Miller Rembert Senior Service award. After high school, Jeremy attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

Upon graduating from UT, Jeremy remained in Knoxville to work for a small software company called Cadre5. Wanting to advance his career, Jeremy applied to several larger tech companies out west. After only a phone interview, Apple Computer invited Jeremy to come to Cupertino. After an in-person interview Jeremy accepted a job offer from Apple. He worked at Apple for 11 years on many modern groundbreaking projects.

Jeremy’s first job at Apple was in the iTunes department. At iTunes, Jeremy solved many outstanding problems, and successfully helped create a system that enables music and video content creators to easily distribute their products. In 2009 Jeremy began working on the iPhone operating system, where he was instrumental in designing technologies such as FaceTime and iMessage, along with other useful features like “Do Not Disturb”, “Decline”, and “Block Caller.” In 2013 Jeremy moved to the Apple Watch department where he helped develop features such as Wallet and Apple Pay. In 2015 Jeremy moved back to iMessage where he designed many features such as stickers, handwriting, and full screen effects. According to co-workers, Jeremy was responsible for choosing the color of the unique “blue bubble” in iMessage.

In 2017, after 11 years of being on call 24/7 at Apple, Jeremy left the company seeking a more relaxed lifestyle. He spent a year in San Diego with classy.org, and then moved to Seattle to work for amazon.com. In 2020 Jeremy moved to Austin, TX to work for UJet.cx. In September 2022, Jeremy returned to Cupertino and became a Senior Software Engineer for the Maps Business Client Team where he helped to lead the development of new features for Messages for Business and related technologies.

Jeremy was fluent in over 10 different programming languages, several database languages, many web development languages, and was a co-inventor of 5 patents while at Apple. What set him apart from other software engineers was his enthusiasm for project management, his strong opinions about technology ethics, and his belief that the user experience should be truly great.

Beyond technology, Jeremy enjoyed cycling, weightlifting, sharing excellent meals with friends, drinking imported teas, and traveling around the world. He was known for his love of different teas from around the world, and in his own words he makes tea “in very fussy ways and drinks from very fancy cups.” Jeremy loved spending time with his many friends, but his best friend was his dachshund Nash.

Jeremy is survived by his parents, Thomas and Jeannine Brown of Fairview, TN; his sister Emily Mangano (Matt) and their children Elliott, Maia, and Mason, his uncles Lynn Mynatt (Cheryl) of Chattanooga, TN and Orville Brown (Lydia) of Atkins, IA, and numerous cousins. He also leaves behind Nash the dachshund.

Jeremy was a kind, good-hearted, and loving person who was always willing to help a friend. He was loved and admired by all who knew him. Jeremy’s talents and skills helped him to create useful tools that have enriched the daily lives of so many, and have provided millions of people around the world the opportunity to connect to one another.

Vistation will be Saturday, July 29, 2023 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm with a memorial service begining at 2:00 pm at Brentwood Hills Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee, and streamed on their website at www.brentwoodhills.org. Memorial donations may be sent to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN, the Sarah Walker Foundation in Brentwood, TN, the American Heart Association or the charity of the donor’s choice.