Helen Tribble Brown

Helen Grace Tribble Brown, 97 passed away peacefully in her sleep Wednesday morning, January 13th, 2021. She was born on June 17, 1923, the fourth child of five, and raised during the depression by her loving parents in Cumming, Georgia.

She graduated from Cumming High School and attended Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia. Upon completion of her studies at Piedmont, she came back to Cumming to teach elementary school at Ducktown Elementary. As her career at Ducktown Elementary progressed, she moved into an administrative role and was named the first female Principal of a Forsyth County school. While serving as Principal at Ducktown Elementary she furthered her education on nights and weekends at Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven, Georgia. It was while attending Oglethorpe, her cousin, Dorothy asked if she might be interested in an opportunity to work for a pharmaceutical company in Atlanta. Helen indicated that she was earning $54.00 monthly as Principal of the school, Dorothy responded the company could start her at $150.00 a month … Helen happily retired from American Cyanamid (now Pfizer) in 1988.

In 1949, while attending a spaghetti supper in Atlanta, she walked out onto the porch and sitting on swing was a man who would change her life. Lee Brown, a New Haven, Connecticut native, was there picking up a friend attending Georgia Tech. They shared the swing. He asked if he could write to her, she said yes. During the coming months, they shared multiple letters. They were falling in love. Following several months of written correspondence, he returned to meet her family and ask for her hand. Following their courtship, on August 25, 1950, Helen and Lee were married at Friendship Baptist in Cumming. They were married 65 years. Lee passed away January 12, 2016, 17 days before his 91st birthday. Together, they were active members at First Baptist Chamblee from 1956-1977 and First Baptist Roswell 1977 to present.

She is survived by their beloved sons, David and Phil, their wives, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Following her retirement, she longed to serve others. As a person of deeply profound faith, she became active in her church in ways she hadn’t been able to before. Her true passion was her family, she was always there to love them. She was always there for any need, for anybody, at any time (usually with a cake or brownies.)

There is an old hymn, “Bless Be the Tie That Binds,” Helen Grace Tribble Brown was one of those rarest of people, she truly was the ‘tie that bound’ for all she knew. She was the epitome of her middle name, “Grace” to all who ever had the pleasure of knowing her.

A private burial is being held with a celebration of her life to follow later in 2021.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to, First Baptist Roswell.