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Dave Brown was born in Arlington Virginia and educated in Virginia – from elementary school through medical school. He attended McKinley elementary school, Yorktown High School, the College of William and Mary, and Eastern Virginia Medical School.

A very young Dave Brown on a camping trip.

Dave and his brother Doug find an egg while camping.

Dave (right) with childhood friends Bunky and Joe Wysor.

An early photo of the Brown family.

Dave said that he came out of his shell in high school and decided to join the football and gymnastics teams. He continued gymnastics in college which led to the most unusual career ever for an astronaut. One day a circus recruiter called him up and asked him if he'd like to perform in the circus for a summer. Brown took him up and became an acrobat, 7 foot unicyclist, and stilt walker for "Circus Kingdom" for a summer.

Dave Brown talks to author Philip Chien about high school and his favorite teacher.

Author Philip Chien teased Dave about his circus "career".

Dave was a high school and college gymnast

And he can even juggle.

Dave Brown (left) performing in the circus in 1977.

Dave rides a unicycle at the circus reunion.

After earning his medical degree Dave joined the Navy and went through Navy flight school.

Dave (third from the left) with fellow student aviators in VT-26 (Training Squadron TWO SIX), Beeville, Texas, circa 1989.

Dave in jet training.

Dave took this photo while flying a T-2 Buckeye jet trainer during carrier pilot training circa 1989.

Dave poses with a Navy fighter jet.

Dave Brown loved to fly, becoming a private pilot as a young adult. His house was located on a small airport runway and had a large hangar. Brown owned two aircraft - a Beech Bonanza and Piper Super Cub. He was also qualified to fly NASA's T-38 jets.

Dave's first solo flight - July 8, 1978.

Dave even tried hang gliding.

Dave's Piper Super Cub in Alaska.

Dave's Bonanza.

Dave Brown's family consisted of his father Paul - a Virginia judge, mother Dorothy, and older brother Doug.

Dave and Doug surprise their parents for their 50th anniversary.

Dave teaches his parents how to use a computer.

Dave with his parents and his plane.

Dave's two biggest fans - nephew Danny and niece Casey.

Dave also had a dog, Duggins. Duggins was in bad health when the crew flew to Florida for the launch and had to be put to sleep just two days before the STS-107 launch. At the time of the accident Dave was dating Janneke Gisolf, a graduate student in Amsterdam who was part of a STS-107 experiment which studied how an astronaut's heart and lungs work in space.

Dave with his best friend - Duggins.

Duggins.

Janneke Gisolf - Dave's girlfriend at the time of the accident.

These intimate shots, provided by the Brown family, show some of their activities for the STS-107 space shuttle mission.

Judge Paul Brown and Dorothy Brown pose for a photo with the STS-107 astronauts at an intimate party a couple of days before the STS-107 launch.

Navy buddy Jeff "Goldy" Goldfinger served as Dave's "wife" for the family tour of the launch pad.

Judge Paul and Dorothy Brown watch the STS-107 launch.

During STS-107 Dave took this photo with his family framed by Columbia's windows with the Earth behind. The photo includes Dave's brother, mother, father, nephew, and niece. He emailed it to his closest family members during the mission.

Some Navy and Polly Ranch photos courtesy of Al Saylor.
Circus photos courtesy of Debby Kate Stahl Ramsey and April Zink.
Launch pad "spouses" tour photo courtesy of Jeff "Goldy" Goldfinger.
Other Navy photos and family photos courtesy of the Brown family.