Cynthia Jo Brown

Cynthia Duke Brown was born on April 23rd, 1950 and passed into the loving arms of our Lord on March 8th, 2025. She passed away peacefully in the presence of her husband and her sons while holding the same cross held by her father at the time of his passing in 2006. Cindy was a fighter, confronting cancer three separate times over a span of almost forty years with courage, unwavering strength and strong faith. She is survived by her husband of fifty-three years Hal Dennis Brown, her son and daughter-in-law Derek and Holly Brown of Austin, her son and daughter-in-law Ross and Stacy Brown of Austin, her sister and brother-in-law Pam and Dr. Mike Andrews of Oxnard, California, her brother Craig Austin Duke of Austin, and sister-in-law and husband Denise and Tom Shusta of San Antonio. She is also survived by her loving grandchildren; granddaughter Ryan Grace and her grandsons Jonah, Weston, Ames, and Bowen for whom she had unconditional love, devotion, and strong admiration. She was always happiest when her whole family was together during the holidays or family gatherings. We would like to thank Cindy’s many cousins, niece, and nephews for their caring support, phone calls, and visits over the last few years. Lastly, there can be no doubt that Cindy’s strength came from her close circle of friends; some dating back as far as High School, some whose children were school mates of Derek and Ross, and some who simply befriended Cindy and Hal along the way. Our family’s deep gratitude and appreciation for your friendship cannot be overstated or fully expressed with a simple “Thank You”

Cindy was raised in San Antonio and graduated from Oliver Wendell Holmes High School where she served on the cheerleading squad and was named head cheerleader in her senior year. Cindy and Hal met when she was fourteen, started dating in High School, then married in 1971 while they were both attending the University of Texas at Austin. Hal loves to tell the story that he proposed three times before Cindy said “yes.” They lived in the UT married student housing while she was finishing her undergraduate degree and Hal was completing his Masters degree. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin and was a teacher in the Eanes School District for over 25 years. Cindy had a gift for teaching and was one of those special teachers that students revered, never forgot, and always made a point of saying hello to her when they saw her around Austin. These friendly reunions seemed to happen often and as recently as the last month.

Cindy was involved in numerous social and charitable organizations including The Junior League of Austin, March of Dimes - Austin, Women’s Symphony League of Austin, Austin Yacht Club, Austin Country Club, Westwood Country Club, and Westlake Presbyterian Church.

The family would like to thank Dr Demetrius Loukas of Texas Oncology and his staff for many, many years of care, compassion, and friendship. In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorial contributions in Cindy’s memory be made to the Helping Hand Home for Children, www.helpinghandhome.org .

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, March 25th at 10am at the Westlake Presbyterian Church, 7127 Bee Caves Road, with a reception immediately following at Austin Country Club. We encourage you to sign and leave a memory in the online guestbook at www.wcfish.com