Lillian was raised in Vaudeville and ventured into Burlesque as she came of age. She wrote a biography of those years called Banned In Boston which ended when she landed in jail for 'accidentally' exposing her breasts - to which she liked to say, "Janet Jackson stole her act." Her love of theater continued throughout her life as she wrote and directed plays when she was with her first husband (James J. Kiernan Sr.) on a Naval Military base in Kenitra, Morocco and then again with her second husband (R. Jim Brown), by whom she was widowed in 2009, when they owned and operated the Double B Ranch Dinner Theater in Fort McCoy, FL. Lillian appeared in a documentary film about Burlesque called "Behind The Burly Q" produced & directed by Leslie Zemeckis.
Lillian was an AP journalist and wrote for the Palatka Daily News. Recently, she was a member of the Red Hats and the Clay County Writers, sponsored by the Florida Writers Assn. She loved doing book signings. The highlight of her day in her later years was reading the Jacksonville Times Union then sharing it with her neighbor, Carol, and waiting for her great granddaughter Grace to come home from school.
Her final words of wisdom: "When you have love in your life, you have everything."
Lillian is survived by her children Don (Kate), Jimmy (Lisa), Katherine (David) & Charlie (Shea). Grandchildren Josh, Donnie, Kristen, Dylan, Kyle, Tamar, Elysia, Karrson, Riley, and Benjamin in addition to her great grandchildren and three sisters: Karin, Jo Ann (Charlie) and Dotty; several nieces and nephews; and all her good neighbors of Chatham Village Dr., especially Lee and Donna Scott.
Lillian Brown's visitation will be held 6-8 PM, Thursday, December 12, 2019 and funeral service will be held on Friday, December 13, 2019 at HARDAGE-GIDDENS RIVERMEAD FUNERAL HOME, 127 Blanding Blvd, Orange Park, FL at 10:00 AM, followed by a burial ceremony at Jacksonville National Cemetery at 12:30 PM. Please post words of comfort at www.hardage-giddensrivermead.com
