Lenora "Mickey" Lily Webb Brown

Lenora Lily Webb was born August 9,1938 in Annapolis MD to parents Winston and Mary Elizabeth Johnson Webb. She was nicknamed ‘Mickey’ just like her mother. She had one older sister, Mary (Stauffer), a younger brother Wess (Webb), and younger sister Pat (McConnaughhay). Her father worked at the naval academy and was also an avid fisherman. As a young child, Mickey was stricken with polio, with little hope for survival, or a life free from paralysis. The poliovirus left her completely paralyzed. To survive, she had to lie flat on her back in an iron-lung. Her prognosis was dire; no one expected her to live long. But one physician, Dr. Allen Voshell, had a different plan.

He took a shine to Mickey, this tenacious young girl who refused to let polio rob her of her life or the ability to walk. He was the Medical Director and Surgeon-in-Chief at Kernan Hospital in Baltimore, MD, at the time, one of the leading hospitals in the country for disabled children. He made it so Mickey could enter the rehabilitation facility, where she could work to regain the use of her legs and arms. When she finished rehab two years later, she walked out under her own power.

Integrating back into society and elementary school came easy for Mickey because she excelled in academics and social pursuits. After graduating from high school, she had two stints working in the business world before meeting and shortly thereafter marrying Navy man, Willie Brown. She met Willie while he was stationed in Annapolis, Maryland in January of 1959. Willie “held the phone” for a fellow service member and ended up having a long conversation with a young lady named Lenora “Mickey” Webb. A short time later, on February 8, 1959, the two had a chance meeting, much to Mickey’s dismay, in a cocktail lounge after she recognized his unforgettable laugh. Somehow he maneuvered himself into dinner at her parent’s house the next day. On Valentine’s Day he asked Mickey to be his “Forever Valentine” and she accepted on February 18th. The couple married on June 20, 1959 and welcomed their son, Jimmie, into the world on June 24, 1960. They moved to Hawaii when Jimmie was three months old, where they spent the remainder of Willie’s military time.

Following Willie’s military assignment and later his work with the railroad, they moved into their home on Roselawn Street, where they built a strong community of lifelong friends and neighbors. When Willie’s job with the railroad was eliminated, he began what would be a 30 year career for the U.S. Postal Service. Mickey spent time involved in youth activities and also served as Portland president and state president within the Letter Carriers Auxiliary, which is the volunteer support group for the union. Her greatest roles were wife, mother, neighbor and friend to all who met her. As a mother, Mickey loved and supported Jimmie in his education and career pursuits. Sadly, his life was cut short when he died in at age 34, a victim of the AIDS epidemic

After Willie’s retirement in 1992, Willie and Mickey took a six month road trip visiting family and touring 46 states. They stayed actively involved in the lives of a great circle of family and neighbors, embracing nieces, neighbors, and their grand-godchildren for the next 10 years or so, but declining health in both Willie and Mickey interrupted much of this social life. Mickey’s strong spirit carried her past the years when post-polio syndrome slowed down her pursuits outside of her home, and as Willie’s health declined following heart surgery, they became less able to travel and visit.

She and Willie both benefitted from home health visits by the VA, Providence, and Housecall Providers; it was thanks to these organizations, along with Meals on Wheels, Store to Door, and the Senior Center services that they were able to remain in their house on Roselawn street for so many years. Mickey used Facebook and the telephone to keep in touch, and loved to see visitors. She stayed engaged with family and community, making a point to welcome new neighbors, and remembering birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays with special crafts or gifts, and always a friendly phone call.

In February 2017 Willie passed away following a brief hospitalization. Mickey then moved into an assisted living facility which provided the care and support needed for her advanced post-polio condition and broken heart from losing her husband of nearly 58 years. Mickey passed peacefully from this life on February 6, 2018, surrounded by family at Providence Milwaukie hospital. She is survived by her sister, Mary Stauffer, and numerous relatives (nieces, nephews, cousins) in the Brown and Webb families. She was also dearly loved and cared for by the Dyer and Welch families, who began as neighbors on Roselawn street and grew into a family unit with strong bonds of love and devotion.

A funeral service followed by a committal will be held in Skyline Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 4101 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland, OR, on Sunday, February 18, 2018, at 12pm.

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