Seattle, Washington - Robert "Bob" Brown, age 78, passed away in early June after a valiant battle with esophageal cancer. Born in California, he grew up in the Bay Area. After graduating college with a degree in Broadcasting, he served as a Naval Communications Officer in Vietnam. When he returned to the States, he began a career in advertising, first in New York and then in San Francisco. Bob married the love of his life in 1972, and they moved to Seattle in 1974, where he became Media Director for Chiat/Day and later McCann Erickson. Though advertising was his day job, Bob began selling used books in the 1970s, and by the early 1980s, he joined forces with two other bookdealers to create the Seattle Book Center. A decade later, having already retired from advertising, he made used books his full-time career by opening his own store. Bob was a beloved bookseller, storyteller, and an inimitable presence at science fiction and fantasy conventions for decades. His knowledge of science fiction, horror, mystery, fantasy, and supernatural literature was greatly respected. He also enjoyed life to the fullest as a world traveler, a connoisseur of good food and drink, a keen poker player, and an avid fisherman, who delighted in yearly trips to Alaska. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and a grandson.