Thomas Wistar Brown V ’63

Twistar died April 5, 2026, at home in Quakertown, Pa., surrounded by family. 

A native of Philadelphia, he came to Princeton from St. George’s School in Newport, R.I. He majored in history, was vice chair of photography for The Daily Princetonian, took his meals at Cloister, and roomed with Bill Everdell. 

Twistar graduated from Temple medical school in 1967, then joined the Army as a physician with internal medicine and trauma experience. Following discharge, he completed a four-year residency in surgery in Philadelphia and, in 1975, became a partner in a general surgery practice in Quakertown. He specialized in vascular surgery for 25 years and then enjoyed a lengthy retirement. 

Twistar sailed his whole life, first with his father and family, then with his wife and children and grandchildren. In 1996, he and wife Emma bought a 36-foot cutter, Ravens Nest. They sailed extensively in the Chesapeake, along the Eastern Seaboard from North Carolina to Nova Scotia, and in the Bay of Fundy. They delighted sailing the coast of Maine. 

In 2021, Twistar and Emma became official snowbirds and migrated annually to Sanibel, Fla. Summers were spent in Winter Harbor, Maine, where Twistar sailed with the Winter Harbor Yacht Club, biked the backroads of Hancock and Washington counties, and swam in the ocean. Throughout his life, he enjoyed reading, music, and had season tickets to the Metropolitan Opera.  

Twistar is survived by his wife of 59 years, Emma; daughters Kate and Alice; and four grandchildren.