Philip James Brown 3rd died on Monday, May 28 on Martha’s Vineyard after a heroic battle with prostate cancer. He was 61.

A dreamer in the best sense of the word, warm, giving, and emotional, PJ believed life was wonderful. He found his greatest joy in spending time with his wife of 24 years, Beck, and their daughter, Michaela.

A summer Islander since the 1960s, PJ was an honorary member of the Polar Bears, and would swim between the jetties at the Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs come rain or shine.

Born on Staten Island, N.Y., to Philip and Eileen Brown, he grew up in Venezuela, Belgium, and New Jersey, and was a graduate of Boston College, where he discovered his love of acting. PJ worked regionally as an actor all over the country, and was a member of the Blue Light Theatre Company, where he was directed by Joanne Woodward. He went to Broadway with Steppenwolf’s The Grapes of Wrath, which won a Tony Award. Beyond his many theatrical achievements, PJ found the greatest reward was in connecting with people. “You’ll never remember the specific lines you had in a play, but you will always remember the people you laughed with backstage.”

In 2005, PJ moved his family to Santa Monica, Calif., where he worked as an actor in television, film, theatre, and voice-over. His most recent work was narrating the King Tut Exhibit: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh which will be shown around the world.

PJ is survived by his mother, his brother Barry, his sisters Suzanne, Lisa, and Victoria, and his wife and daughter. He is predeceased by his father, Philip Brown Jr., and sister Kathleen.

The family requests that donations be made in PJ’s name to the Actors Fund, actorsfund.org.

Celebrations of PJ’s life are being planned on July 19 in Morristown, N.J., and in Santa Monica, Calif. at a future date.