Alice Jean Brown

Alice Jean Brown (née Barosh), beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, left this world peacefully on August 3, 2025, at her cherished beachside home in Carlsbad, California. She was 94 years old, a month shy of her 95th birthday, yet her presence felt eternal — a constant so steady that many of us quietly believed she would somehow be here forever.

She was born at home in Inglewood, California, to Mitchell and Ethel Barosh, the second of four children, alongside siblings Michael, Patrick, and Sharon. She grew up walking to Washington High School in Los Angeles, goofing off along the way with her friends — the Beaten twins, Mary Lou, and Joanne Blackburn — riding the trolley for the thrill of it, often to the beach she loved so deeply. Even then she carried the independence, playfulness, and curiosity that would define her life.

At just seventeen, she eloped to Yuma, Arizona, with Arthur Brown — the love of her life — and began a marriage that lasted seventy-eight remarkable years. She credited their enduring bond to a simple truth: never go to bed angry and always remember the joy of the early days, because “it won’t always be this easy.” Together they raised three children, built a family legacy, and created a home that welcomed countless friends and strangers alike.

Alice worked as an ice cream scooper in her youth, at Bell Telephone, and later alongside Arthur at their business, Arthur A. Brown Plumbing, managing collections and selling antiques. She studied German in anticipation of a trip abroad, restored Victorian furniture, and poured her creativity into historical fiction and poetry. She and Arthur traveled widely — to the West Indies, Germany, and across the United States — but always returned to their Carlsbad shore, a place they made as much a part of their legacy as their family itself.

Her home was not just a home — it was an adventure land, a “Grandma’s Wonderland.” Children and grandchildren entered through her door and were drawn into treasure hunts down the hallway, emerging with a tin VW van, a hand-painted necklace, a plate adorned with a turkey, her treasured copy of Alice in Wonderland, a ceramic goose, or a wide assortment of frogs. She delighted in giving gifts that shaped lives — a surf rod and reel that inspired a lifelong love of the ocean, a first skateboard that became a treasured possession, even a mischievous trip to 7-11 for a pack of cigarettes. She pressed dessert into every visitor’s hands — pie, cookies, or her favorite cake and ice cream — and once tried feeding chocolate chip cookies to her grandson’s dog because “he looked hungry.” Easter mornings brought black olives on fingertips and her beloved “tater totes.”

With each generation, Alice made every child, grandchild, great-grandchild, and beyond feel like “the favorite.” Her sharp mind, deep care, and impeccable memory forged bonds that were unique to each of us — through thoughtful gifts, shared passions like writing, countless phone calls, and more. She had a way of sparking wonder, like asking from her porch by the ocean how one might ever climb to the moon.

She made friends everywhere — with shopkeepers, waitresses, bank tellers — and remembered the smallest details about them. She could rake a yard with the strength of someone half her age, joke “that’s the way I roll,” and move on to the next task without missing a beat. She came to classrooms to read her own stories to wide-eyed children, sang silly songs from her youth, and wove wordplay into daily conversation.

She leaves behind her devoted husband Arthur; children Mike and Susie; grandchildren Josh, Jacob, Joseph, Rachael, Rebekah, Curtis, Heidi, Jonny, and Matt; great-grandchildren Hayven, Enzo, Isaac, Sahalie, Ivy Rose, Gabriel, Jacob, Daniel, Luis, Arianna, Trina, Emily, Emma, Tegan, Montana, Sadie Jane, Liberty, Cadence, and Paxley; great-great-grandchildren Isabella, Evelynn, and Eden; and an immeasurable circle of friends. She is reunited with her eldest daughter, Chris, who passed in 2007.

A viewing will be held August 21 from 4–8 p.m. at Eternal Hills in Oceanside. A private family burial will take place August 22, followed by a celebration of life on August 23 at noon at Heritage Hall in Magee Park, Carlsbad. Flowers may be sent in her name to Eternal Hills Memorial Park, 1999 El Camino Real, Oceanside, CA, starting August 21 (back door delivery). Donations of books in her name to the Carlsbad Library are also welcome.

Alice’s life was one of generosity, curiosity, humor, and love — a life that inspired adventure, embraced connection, and found joy in even the smallest treasures. Her imprint lives on in every story told, every dream pursued, every sweet treat shared, and in the countless hearts she made feel at home.