Chamblee Auto Shop, Icon Closes

I knew something was up a few weeks ago when I called Brown Auto Service to set up an appointment for my 18-year-old pickup's emissions inspection.

A voice I didn't recognize told me, "We don't do emissions inspections anymore."

Now, I've had my vehicles serviced long enough at Brown to know that emissions played a big role in keeping the auto shop going.

Now, I've learned that Brown Auto Service, once owned by longtime mayor and businessman Johnson W. "Dub" Brown, closed recently.

I knew the late "Dub" Brown as well as his brother, Robert, both of whom - and their families - were pillars of the Chamblee community.

And we'd come to rely on the group who took over Brown for a lot of our car-care needs. Brown was one of the last independent auto shops that could repair a tire, rebuild an engine and fix pretty much anything else in between.

We'll miss them.