Joan Ethel Brown
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Joan Ethel (Osborn) Brown, age 91, died peacefully Saturday, May 29, 2021 in Clinton, TN of complications from dementia. She had lived in Rochester, NY her entire adult life and had recently moved to Tennessee to be near family.
Daughter of Earl and Ethel Osborn, she grew up in Roslyn Heights, NY. Following her graduation with Phi Beta Kappa honors and a degree in art history from the University of Rochester she was married to Gordon L. Brown Jr. until his death in 2003.
She was an active homemaker, involved with her children and their activities as well as the Pittsford Presbyterian Church. A friendship with a dear friend who was blind led her to an interest in Brailling. Beginning on a Brailling machine, she later transitioned to an early Braille computer program that made her quite computer literate. As a volunteer for the National Library Service for the Blind she would transcribe books and texts to be shared as needed by blind readers. She was especially competent in the transcription of math and science textbooks.
Joan was a lifelong lover of travel and of all things outdoors. She supported numerous conservation organizations. She enjoyed nothing better than canoeing and camping in the Adirondacks, even if it meant a visit by a bear in the tent.
She is survived by her children, Janet Sarah (Richard) Alexander and Gordon Curtis (Sally) Brown; grandchildren, Adam (Casey) Brown, Bridget (Jeff) Brown, Morgan Alexander and Katherine Powell; nephew, David (Julie) Zimmerman and Niece, Jane (Neil) Hartman. www.holleygamble.com