Herbert P. Browne, Jr., 92

Bristol, R.I.

After a wonderful 92-years of life, Herbert P. Browne, Jr., died peacefully next to his wife of 66 years, Christine Gorcynski Browne, on July 6.

Herb and Christine founded Bristol Bagel Works in 1994 with their son, Rob, where they worked side by side until they could no longer; first Christine stopped due to Alzheimer’s, and then Herb because of his failing health, just a few short months ago. Herb’s kind demeanor and sparkling smile made him a Bristol icon inside and outside of his shop where he was the anchor of many a conversation over a bagel and a coffee or tea. Prior to his role as the Bagel King of Bristol, Herb was the General Sales Manager for Wayne Distributing, a Miller Brewing Company distributorship based in Cranston, where he also worked alongside his lifelong childhood friend, William Considine.

Herb began sailing at the Edgewood Yacht Club in 1944, developing a lifelong passion for the sea. He began racing Beetle Cats and later moved on to larger and faster boats. When winter came, he and his friend, Tom Breslin, participated in Sunfish frostbite racing throughout New England. He owned many sailboats throughout his life and loved the camaraderie of boating with his friends and family on the waters of Narragansett Bay and in and around Block Island. Never too old for an upgrade, at age 89, Herb took ownership of his “dream boat,” a Hinckley Pilot 35 yawl, with his son, Rob. Herb was a long-time member and former Commodore of the Bristol Yacht Club, where he spent many of his summer days sailing and racing until he could sail no more – just last summer. He was again recently also a social member of his childhood yacht club, Edgewood YC, where he often visited for a Beetle Regatta or for one of his grandson’s sailing events.

After graduating from Cranston High School in 1949, Herb worked for Narragansett Brewery in Cranston. A few years later, he was in the U.S. Army in Korea. On his way back from Korea, Herb experienced a traumatic event that impacted his life. He boarded a transport plane for his return to the United States. The aircraft was overloaded, so Herb, being the last to board, had to exit and wait for a second aircraft. The first plane crashed, and everyone aboard was killed. Herb was interviewed by the “Providence Journal” about this experience in a 2021 article that got him a lot of local attention.

In 1956, Herb attended the University of Rhode Island, where he met Christine Gorcynski, a tall and good-looking nursing student. Within a few months, they became engaged. Herb’s close friends worried that he might be acting in haste. To further complicate things, Herb and Chris faced what was called a “mixed” marriage. Herb was Presbyterian; Chris was Catholic. If they had listened to their friends, one of the great marriages in the history of matrimony would not have occurred.

Christine and Herb lived in several states over the course of their 66 years of marriage, from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, to Dallas, Tex., and several homes between Barrington and Bristol, R.I. He was a dedicated husband and in his recent years converted to Catholicism so that he could sit aside his wife at church each Sunday. He quickly became a cherished member of St. Mary’s Church and found his faith and friendship to really flourish in a very special men’s group that lifted him up and added even more great friends to his already long list.

Herb was an avid reader and a quiet patriot. He believed in family, faith and friends. You didn’t need much else if you could include Herb and Chris Browne in your circle of friends. Every hat that Herb wore, he wore with great distinction – son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and friend.