Huston Hamilton "Ham" Cobb Brosious, 93, of Oxford and formerly of Newtown for more than 20 years, died May 25, after a very brief illness. Born April 12, 1924, in Philadelphia to Barbara Lee Milligan and Eugene Warren Cobb, he was raised in Sunbury, Penn., by his mother and stepfather, William George Brosious.

Mr Brosious was active in town politics and community service, serving as a board member of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library in Newtown; with the Newtown and Oxford Connecticut Democratic town committees, where he is remembered for his creative spirit and enthusiasm; as a member of the Representative Town Meeting in Westport, where he was part of the victorious campaign in 1967 to 1969 to prevent a nuclear power plant from locating just offshore on Cockenoe Island; as a dedicated volunteer at the Oxford Public Library; and as an ambassador at Griffin Hospital in Derby.

His beloved partner, Ann Krane; his children, Barbara Lindsay, Matthew Brosious, and Sarah Vaivoda and her husband Paul; his grandchildren, Rebecca deCusati, Katherine Lindsay, Emily Wiley, Caitlin Brosious, Dylan Brosious, Anna Vaivoda, and Rachel Vaivoda; two great-grandchildren; and extended family, whom he loved dearly, survive him.

"Sonny" as he was known as a child, grew up with a love of the outdoors, fly fishing, skiing, boating, poetry, books, and people, that continued throughout his life. In 1942, he enrolled as a freshman at Pennsylvania State University, and shortly thereafter enlisted in the Army.

Mr Brosious served in the US Army with distinction in the 10th Mountain Division and in the Pacific theater in World War II.  At the age of 22, he received a battlefield promotion to captain and was part of the United States occupation forces in Japan. He drew much pride from his service to our country as a World War II veteran.

Following the war, he resumed his studies at Penn State and graduated from the School of Journalism in 1949, with a BA in advertising. Beginning as a newspaper advertising salesman, his career took him from Danville, Penn., to Bellingham, Wash., where he moved into radio, working with KVOS. His early career was briefly interrupted during the Korean War when he again served his country, this time stateside, at the Army's Public Information Office in Seattle.

Naturally drawn to innovations, Mr Brosious soon began selling an early broadcast automation system called International Good Music (IGM). He traveled the country selling IGM systems before he landed in New York in 1960 as IGM's national sales manager.

Mr Brosious was at the forefront of what was becoming the modern recording industry. He was a pioneer in developing the market for magnetic recording equipment. In the 1960s he served as vice president and general manager of Scully Recording Instruments in Bridgeport, where he was credited with commercialization of the first professional solid state magnetic tape recorder, the Scully 280.

In 1970s, he co-founded Audiotechniques Inc of Stamford and Manhattan as a professional audio equipment dealer. For two decades, Audiotechniques was a major player in the professional audio industry, naming most major recording studios and broadcast facilities within its market as customers. In the 1990s he handled consulting gigs and ran studio liquidations at Hamilton Brosious Associates (HBA). He was a lifelong member and past president of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), a member of Broadcast Pioneers, a supporter and organizer of the Society of Professional Recording Studios (SPARS), a member of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE).

More important to him than his business achievements were the good friends he gained along the way. He cherished his interactions with everyone he met from studio owners to interns. He was always there to help, with a solution to a problem, a kind word, or to share a joke. He made a lasting mark on many people and remained a good friend.

His loved ones said, to his last days, his buoyant, vibrant personality shone through, and he was truly himself, making new friends of those who cared for him, and saying goodbye to those who loved him with jokes and humor and irrepressible, natural charm.

Throughout his life, he had a natural ability to bring people together, and to develop bonds and friendships easily. It helped that he had a quick wit and loved to charm. He was a student of human nature and was genuinely interested in people.

His favorite toast, from William Shakespeare's 29th Sonnet, captures what mattered most in his life and reflects what will be remembered best by those who loved him: "For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings, that I then scorn to change my state with kings."

A memorial will be conducted at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to the Cyrenius H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street, Newtown CT 06470 or at chboothlibrary.org/support-the-library.