Elizabeth Black Moorhead Moorhead Brown

BROWN, Elizabeth Moorhead "Betty" -- Age 71. July 1, 2011. Born August 20, 1939 in Louisville, Kentucky, she was the second of three children of Sue Atherton Moorhead and Rodman Wister Moorhead, Jr., Executive Vice President of Brown-Forman Corporation. After attending the Collegiate School in Louisville, she graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts with a degree in Art History. She then moved to New York City, where she became engaged to Martin Shallenberger Brown, a family friend since childhood. Following their wedding on June 23, 1962, the Browns moved near Lynchburg, Tennessee, where Martin worked at the Jack Daniel Distillery. The Browns left Tennessee for two years while Martin served in the U.S. Army. Upon their return, the Browns settled in Nashville, where Betty lived for the rest of her life. Betty was deeply interested in improving our community. She was a founding director of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and taught in Nashville public schools. Betty served as a board member of the Metro Historical Commission, Alive Hospice, Nashville Civic Design Center, Ensworth School, Historic Nashville, Junior League of Nashville, and Nashville Opera in addition to assisting many other organizations. She was co-founder and President for many years of the Nashville Tree Foundation, which replaced nearly 6,000 trees through the ReLeaf Nashville program following the 1998 tornado and which continues to enhance Nashville's urban forest. Betty co-chaired with Sandra Fulton the Century III Nashville committee that conceived the Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville. A participant in Leadership Nashville, Betty was inducted into the YWCA Academy for Women of Achievement in 2004 shortly after receiving the National MS Hope Award. Betty was a board member of the American Council for the Arts in Washington, D.C. and Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and traveled to Haiti to help on Episcopal Church construction projects. Betty loved to spend time with others at her vegetable and wildflower gardens on the family farm. She lectured at Colonial Williamsburg and elsewhere about what nature brought forth with encouragement from her hands between the farm's stone wall and split rail fences. In 1999, she received the Historic Preservation Award from the Garden Club of America. Betty and Martin traveled widely. Her favorite place outside Nashville was the remote island of Manitucky in Ontario. Betty was preceded in death by her sister Sue Moorhead Smythe of Louisville. She is survived by her husband Martin, their son Martin S. Brown, Jr. (Cathy Stewart Brown), and their daughters: Elizabeth "Eliza" Moorhead Brown (Hamilton "Hal" Candee); Margaret "Nina" Brown de Clercq (Casper de Clercq); and Susannah Brown Scott-Barnes (Alec "Zulu" Scott-Barnes) as well as nine grandchildren: Sara and Louis Brown; Anna Candee; Lucas, Willem, and Martin de Clercq; and Willow, Josephine, and Max Scott-Barnes. She is also survived by her brother, Rodman W. Moorhead III (Alice) and fourteen nieces and nephews, and in-laws. The family wishes to thank those who provided gentle and loving care to Betty in her final months, particularly Cynthia Currier, Penny Hester, Amonia Lawson, Helen Kendrick, Vivian Toney, and Lisa Moment. Visitation with Betty's family will be at 6231 Hillsboro Pike from 4 -7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5, 2011. The funeral service will be held at Christ Church Cathedral at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6, 2011, followed by a private burial at the Browns' family cemetery. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Nashville Tree Foundation, 314 Page Rd., Nashville, TN 37205; Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson St., Nashville, TN 37203; or the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, 3833 Cleghorn Avenue #400, Nashville, TN 37215. Arrangements under the direction of Marshall Donnelly Combs Funeral Home, Nashville, Tennessee.