The cause of death was metastatic melanoma after a life time of living with Fabry Disease, according to her husband, Robert A. Brown.
Ms. Brown was born in Seattle, WA and grew up in Portland, Oregon. She graduated from Grant High School in Portland, and she received a B.A. from the University of Oregon in 1961 and a Master’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa in 1963.
She moved with her family from Dallas, TX to Takoma Park, MD in 1972 and to Columbia in 1975. She was the Executive Director of the Maryland Psychological Association (MPA) for 28 years, beginning part-time as the only employee and building the association into one of the most vibrant and accomplished state associations in the country. Under her leadership, MPA became a model for other state psychological associations, receiving the 1989 American Psychological Association Division 31 award for Outstanding Accomplishments of a State or Provincial Psychological Association.
Ms. Brown was a founding member and first chair of the Committee of Executives of State and Provincial Psychological Associations. In 1986 and again in 2000, she received the APA Division 31 award for Outstanding Accomplishments of an Executive of a State or Provincial Psychological Association.
Ms. Brown was involved in a variety of civic and professional activities. She was a founding board member and treasurer of the National Fabry Disease Foundation. She was a member of the League of Women Voters in Dallas, Takoma Park, and Columbia and served as Treasurer and Board member of the Columbia Chapter. She was a founding member and president of the Pro Bono Counseling Project, an organization that annually offers thousands of hours of free mental health treatment to Washington and Baltimore individuals and families who could not otherwise afford these services. She recently chaired a committee in Howard County’s Robinson Nature Center’s HoLLIE program to map county hiking and nature trails accessible to seniors, and was a volunteer for FIRN tutoring children of recent Burmese immigrants.
Ms. Brown is survived by her husband of 50 years, Dr. Robert A. Brown; a daughter, Dr. Karen E. Brown of Cheshire, CT; two sons, James R. Brown of Media, PA, and Dr. Kenneth G. Brown of Iowa City, IA; a step-daughter, Kaya A. Brown, of Santa Cruz, A; a brother, Fred W. Taylor of Mill Valley, CA; and seven grandchildren.
A Memorial Service will be celebrated at 2 p.m., Sunday, July 21st at Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia, MD 21044. Interment is private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to: National Fabry Disease Foundation, www.fabrydisease.org, or the Fabry Support and Information Group, www.fabry.org.
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