Maria Conchetta Brown

A funeral service will be held, 11:30 am, Wednesday, December 9th at Bateman Carrol Funeral Home in Gresham, for Maria Conchetta Brown. Maria passed away November 24th at the age of 96.

Maria was born, April 9, 1924 in Roma, Italy the youngest of five children born to Torquarto and Domenica (Beltrami) Pennacchietti. Raised in Roma she met a US Army Soldier during WWII during the liberation of Italy and in May of 1945 she wed James McLaughlin. April the next year she gave birth to their 1st child, daughter Mary Jo. Six months later Maria was on a transport ship heading to America with her daughter to Ellis Island. She later met up with her husband in Portland where his family was now living. In 1948 her son Thomas entered her world. Unfortunately, her marriage ended in 1950 and for the next 20 years she was a devoted single mother. Most of these years she worked for the Gas and Coke Company AKA NW Natural Gas in Portland.

Maria had a family doctor who retired and turned his practice over to a new doctor. She and he became friends that grew into a wonderful relationship called marriage. Dr. Paul Brown and Maria had an amazing life together as he served our country at West Point and for the Surgeon General. After retirement she traveled with her husband around the world and finally retired back in Aurora,Oregon. After her husband’s passing in 2019 she moved to Troutdale to be close to her daughter.

Maria is survived by her daughter, Mary Jo (Rod) Brobeck, and her eight grandchildren; (Shaun Roland, Elizabeth Theriot, Christopher McLaughlin, Justin McLaughlin, Rebecca Martin, Jeremiah McLaughlin, Domenica Bahr, and Benjamin McLaughlin ). She was preceded in death by her son Thomas in 2017.