Darlene retired from St. John’s Day Care and Preschool as a cook for 16 years.
Darlene loved to crochet. She would crotchet anything from large afghans to baby afghans. She loved going fishing and camping with family and friends. She loved just being outdoors and spending the day enjoying the nice weather. Her most cherished moments were spending the time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She never missed a sporting event or anything that involved them. Family meant everything to her.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Jerry Brown, whom she married November 27,1963 and passed away March 28, 2020; parents, Edwin and Amelia, nee Dintelmann, Neff; brothers, Elmer Neff, and Thomas Neff, in infancy; sister Patricia (Dennis) Vander Pluym; brother-in-law, Jack Blake.
Darlene is survived by her two children, Robin (Randy) Wiegand and Jerry Brown Jr.; three grandchildren, Renae (Aaron) Snyder, Rachelle (Alex) Blake, and Rick (Hannah Mechler) Wiegand; two great grandchildren, Ryer and Remi Blake; a brother, Ronald (Janelle) Neff; two sisters-in-law, Jeanette Neff and Betty Blake Patterson; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
We would like to send a special thank you to the staff at Garden Place in Red Bud and Darlene’s healthcare team at Vitas Hospice for their loving and compassionate care and comfort.
Memorials may be made to Vitas Hospice, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, or the Alzheimer’s Association. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.lakeviewfuneralhm.com.
Visitation: Friends may visit from 4 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, September 16, 2026, and 9 to 10 a.m., Thursday, September 17, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Belleville, IL.
Service: A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, September 17, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Belleville, IL with Father William McGhee officiating.
Burial will be at Lake View Memorial Gardens, Fairview Heights, IL.
