Frances Brown Cowan Gibson

Frances Carmelita Brown was born on November 18, 1922, in Tyler, to Lillian and A.M. Brown, and had one sister, Alma Brown Penn, and one brother, Marvin Brown, all of whom predeceased her.

Frances attended Tyler schools and graduated from the Texas State College for Women in Denton (now TWU) with a degree in piano. Frances married R. Don Cowan in 1944 at the Little Chapel in the Woods on the TWU campus in Denton. Mr. Cowan, a founder of Tyler-based TCA cable, died in 1992. During the early years of their marriage, Frances taught piano lessons. After her kids were grown, she returned to the University of Texas at Tyler to study art and received a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in Art in May of 1985. Frances was an accomplished artist and enjoyed drawing, painting and printmaking. She also loved music and participated for years in the opera class at UT-Tyler.

Frances married Bill Gibson in 1998 and he preceded her in death in 2010.

Frances was very interested in the arts and supported the Tyler Day nursery, First Presbyterian Church, the Tyler Art Museum, East Texas Symphony Orchestra and the University of Texas at Tyler, as well as other Tyler organizations. She participated in numerous book, study and dinner clubs and also enjoyed mah jong and dominos with the family.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 A.M., Monday, April 23, 2012 at First Presbyterian Church, 230 W. Rusk St., with Reverend Stuart Baskin officiating. A private burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 -7:00 P.M, Sunday, April 22, 2012 at Lloyd James Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

She is survived by three children, Camilla Cowan, R. Don Cowan, Jr., and wife Teri, and Susan Kaiser, and husband Steve, all of Dallas; step-daughter, Lisa Gibson, and husband Larry Barnes, of Santa Rosa, CA; by six grandchildren, Laura Cowan of Dallas, Thomas Cowan of Brooklyn, N.Y., Vince Gutierrez of Laramie, WY, Alex Gutierrez of Fayetteville, AR, Sarah Emrick of Dallas, and Krispin Kaiser of Denver, CO; by brother-in-law Bob Cowan, and wife Peggy, of Midland; four nieces and one nephew, including Betty Blanchard, and husband Marty, of Tyler; and by two great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to thank all of Mom’s caregivers, especially Melissa Lyles and Sharon Clark, for their fine and loving care.