James Berdet Brown, 47, of Nashville, Tenn., passed away Monday, Jan. 19, 2015, unexpectedly at his residence after a brief illness. He was born Nov. 3, 1967, in New Castle. A kind, generous and fun-loving person, James enjoyed living in Nashville for the past 15 years . Above all, he was devoted to his family and his cat, Second Fiddle, who survives. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends. James is survived by his parents, Steve and Joan Brown of New Castle; his sister, Joan Arrow and her husband, Donald, of Enon Valley; his sister Kathy-Jo Brown Hayden and her husband, Lee, of Hamburg, N.J.; his paternal grandmother and grandfather, Dorothy and Charles Higgs of New Castle; his niece, Jennifer Leppla and her husband, Michael, of New Brighton; and his nephew Edward Arrow and his wife, Hannah, and son, Liam, of Manchester, Mich. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather and grandmother, James Berdet and Thelma White. For the past 10 years, James worked as an unemployment claims agent with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. He was beloved by his co-workers and known for his sense of humor and the thoughtful way he cared about those filing for unemployment. He also worked for the past 15 years for Contemporary Services Corp. providing event security for many entertainment and sporting events in Nashville. James loved the Lord and was a member of Brentwood United Methodist Church in Brentwood, Tenn., where he was a member of the prayer team. He also was a longtime member of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. James graduated with honors from Shenango High School, earned a bachelor's degree in general studies from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's degree in accounting from Slippery Rock University. Visitation will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, at the J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory, 111 W. Falls St. Visitation will also be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26, at Savannah United Methodist Church, New Castle. A funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. Monday, with the Rev. Michael E. Long officiating. Interment will be in Parkside Cemetery. A luncheon will follow the service in the church fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in James' name to New Castle Community YMCA Aquatics Department, 21 W. Washington St., New Castle, Pa. 16101; or Savannah United Methodist Church, 84 Savannah Gardner Road, New Castle, Pa. 16101.