Sanae Teruya Brown, age 69, of Jacksonville, FL, passed away on January 8, 2024. She was born in Okinawa, Japan, on January 24, 1954, to Chiyoko Teruya. She met Jim Brown in 1975 in Guam and they were married October 15, 1976.
Sanae acquired a bachelor's degree in accounting at Florida Southern College and taught school for a year at George Washington Carver in Jacksonville. She was a member of Westside Baptist Church and taught a Japanese Bible class. Sanae also taught English and Bible classes during her time in Yokosuka, Japan. She enjoyed homemaking, sewing, crochet, reading, studying her Bible, and especially being a mother and grandmother.
She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Jim; daughters, Crystal (Erik) Chapla and Rachel (Matt) Rakowski; brother, Michael (Jennifer) Smith; grandsons, James Chapla, Brandon Rakowski and Nathan Rakowski; granddaughters, Brielle Rakowski, Grace Chapla and Olivia Chapla.
Preceded in death by stepfather, Milton Smith; mother, Chiyoko Smith; stepfather-in-law, Richard Evans and mother-in-law, Belva Evans.