Mildred Phillips Brown

Mildred Phillips Brown passed away on June 30, 2015 at a local care center. She was born on September 2, 1924 to William Pilkington Phillips and Eleanor Deloach Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee. Mildred majored in Business Administration at Memphis State College. On April 6, 1945, she married Aubrey Kenna Brown, Jr. After marrying, they moved to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas for her husband to complete his surgical residency in Otorhinolaryngology before beginning a career as an Army physician. While her husband was stationed in Korea during the Korean War, Mildred remained stateside and was the sole parent to their two small children. Throughout her husband's 24 year Army medical career, they were stationed at numerous army hospitals in Oahu, Hawaii, Tokyo, Japan, Washington, D.C., Denver, Colorado, and San Antonio, Texas. At each new station, Mildred created a welcoming home for her family and quickly involved herself in the affairs of each new community. In 1966, Mildred and her husband moved to Temple, Texas when her husband retired from the Armed Forces and joined Scott & White Memorial Hospital's Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) Department. Throughout her years in Temple, Mildred was active in numerous community affairs, including the Bell County Medical Alliance; the Central Texas Orchestral Society; Contemporaries; Temple City Federation of Women's Club; Central Tri-County Republican Women's Club, where she served as President; Meals on Wheels; Temple Law Enforcement Advisory Board, where she served as Chairman; the Cultural Activities Center; and the PTO boards of her children's schools. Mildred and Kenna were one of the six founding families of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Temple. She served many roles at St. Francis Episcopal, including director of the Altar Guild, volunteer at the St. Francis Gift Shop, and president of Episcopal Church Women at St. Francis. Additionally, Mildred was the first woman to serve on St. Francis Episcopal's vestry board. Mildred was known for her engaging personality, sense of humor, and her warm, southern hospitality. She was the consummate hostess and loved to entertain friends and family in her home. She had the unique ability to put all whom she met instantly at ease and quickly made lifelong friends. Mildred enjoyed oil painting, gardening, reading, playing bridge with her bridge group and snow skiing. To her family and many friends, she is most remembered as a kind, generous and loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Mildred was descended from several old, southern families that emigrated from England to Virginia in the 17th century. She was a member of The National Society of Magna Charta Dames, The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America and The Daughters of the American Revolution. Mildred was preceded in death by a son, Aubrey Kenna Brown, III. Survivors include her husband, Aubrey Kenna Brown, Jr., M.D. of Temple, Texas; her four children, William Phillips Brown and wife, Debbie Lehmkuhl Brown of Austin, Texas; Gail Brown Avots and husband, Andre Eriks Avots, M.D. of Temple, Texas; Gary Kenna Brown, M.D. of Knoxville, Tennessee; Beth Brown Lang and husband, Steven Frank Lang of Cedar Park, Texas; her 5 grandchildren, Kristin Avots Murphy and husband, Donavan Kip Murphy, M.D. of Temple, Texas; Lauren Avots Bryan and husband, Wesley Kriston Bryan of Houston; Erik Kenna Avots of Austin, Texas; Aubree Marie Brown of Austin, Texas; Laura Phillips Lang of Cedar Park, Texas and one great-grandson, Luke William Murphy of Temple, Texas. Services will be held at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 5001 Hickory Road, Temple, Texas on Saturday, July 11 at 11:00 a.m. A reception for family and friends will follow in the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Baylor Scott & White Health or to St. Francis Episcopal Church.