Daphne Maud Brown

From the moment of her birth on January 12, 1933 through the day of her death, February 6, 2022, God had meticulously planned the life of Daphne Maud Brown. The daughter of the late Emeline Uter and Wilfred Reid, Daphne grew up in the tiny village of Bunker’s Hill, in Trelawny, Jamaica along with her siblings and a large extended family. Here, where life was simple, she was surrounded by food from the land, a river running not far from her home and sugar cane in nearby fields.

Her story broadly unfolded when she moved to London, England. There she immersed herself in her community, through employment as a seamstress and a bus conductress for London’s public transportation. She embraced the life of the British for about 18 years before immigrating to the United States in 1972, settling in Connecticut, the home of her twin brother, the late Basil Reid, sister, the late Lurline Reid and brothers Cephas Reid and Canute Williams now deceased. It was here that she met and married the late Henry Brown.

A hard-working and outspoken woman, she was never one to hold her tongue. She had strong views about matters of the world and willingly shared them with others. She loved MSNBC, CNN and other news channels and could be heard arguing vigorously about corrupt or inept politicians or some absurd news of the day. An industrious woman with an artistic side not known to many, she used her hands to create many beautiful pieces or art. Ceramic dolls, clowns, lamps, crocheted doilies and knitted ornamental mats adorned her homes and many were shared with family and friends. She taught ceramics classes in Hamden, CT for several years. Her artistic mind allowed her to transform many an item into a piece of art.

A gifted seamstress who worked in the lingerie department at the Warnaco Company in Bridgeport for 22 years, she continued to hone her skills long after she retired in 1998. She made items of clothing, table cloths, runners, curtains, etc. She surrounded herself with many modeling and design books and sewing patterns. She bought and used specialized equipment to ensure her end-products were meticulously crafted. A visit by a 35-year-old grand-daughter Nyamka from England three years ago, found material Aunt Daphne had used to make for her 16th birthday, some 19 years earlier.

An avid bowler, she won numerous games and proudly displayed her trophies throughout her home. When she loved something, she loved and played passionately as she did with bingo at the West Indian Domino Club on Friday nights. She thoroughly enjoyed the comradery and friendships established through the club and participated in many bus trips, cookouts and other celebrations. A 92-year-old friend recently recalls the fun trips they often took travelling out of town until the “wee hours of the morning”

Daphne’s internal drive led her to continue working after she moved to Lehigh Acres. She worked for many years for Shell Point Healthcare System in Fort Myers providing private duty nursing assistance. She was never apprehensive or afraid to take on tasks that were daunting. She preferred the second shift and her strong personality allowed her to feel confident about driving alone at nights for many years until her late 70s.

She was committed to a healthy lifestyle avoiding unhealthy foods and maintaining healthy habits. She stuck to this way of life to the very end. Her god-daughter Cheryl recalls learning about skin care from Aunt Daphne as a teenager. She was a Mary Kay Specialist for many years and served not only as an independent consultant but valued deeply the use of appropriate products on her skin.

She loved the Lord and used this to guide her Christian journey, especially later in life. A member of First Baptist Church in Lehigh Acres, she assisted by offering rides and working in the church’s soup kitchen and the children’s nursery.

Daphne’s strong disposition and fiercely independent spirit will be sorely missed by those who had a chance to know her. She is survived by her son, Norcliffe Brown (England), grandchildren Ashashana, Nyamka, Jermaine, Josiah, Jerome, all of England, Erin and Gregory Brown of Connecticut, six great-grandchildren, her oldest sister Olive Anglin of Canada, her youngest sister, Minette Douglas of Miami, Florida, many nieces, nephews, cousins and good friends. Also deeply saddened by her passing are her god-daughter Cheryl Dunn and family, nieces Evett Goodwin and Claudette Beamon and her close friends Lou (Pedro) and Gloria Burgos. In addition to her husband, parents and siblings mentioned above, she was also preceded in death by her son Everett (Tony) Brown and siblings, Lesline Williams, Ozra Walker, Neville Reid, Sybil Douglas, Rowland Reid.

Rest in Perfect Peace in the gentle arms of our Lord and Savior!