Marilyn Brown

1927 - 2022

Marilyn Brown
January 8, 1927 - December 20, 2022
Fresno, California - Marilyn Brown passed away peacefully at the home she had lived in for almost 68 years, surrounded by family on December 20, 2022.
Born in Oakland, California, to Kathryn and Mortimer Smith, Marilyn grew up in Berkeley, graduating from Berkeley High School before attending the University of California, Berkeley. Marilyn was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and was elected Vice President of the Student Body. After graduating from Cal in 1947, Marilyn became one of the first two women to obtain her MBA from Cal. Marilyn met her husband Ross while both were in graduate school at Berkeley. They were married in 1951, and soon after moved to Fresno and started a family.
Marilyn was passionate about her community. She was instrumental in bringing Public Television to Fresno. She was the first woman on the Board of the Central Valley Community Foundation when it was founded in 1966. Marilyn was very involved in Fresno's "Friends of the Library", later successfully campaigning for a tax increase to support the library. She was also integrally involved in Measure Z, the successful campaign to raise money for the Fresno Zoo. Marilyn was Vice Chair of the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Commission, a Town Hall Board member, and she served as a Cal Alumni Scholarship Committee member for the Fresno area. She was a member of the Junior League, Women's Symphony League, Monday Study Club, Garden Club, and the La Feliz Guild. Marilyn was a Girl Scout leader for her two daughters, and served on the Golden Valley Girl Scout Council.
Marilyn loved family and friends, the mountains, music, and all things Cal. Marilyn and Ross were married for 43 years until his death in 1994. They spent happy times at their Wright's Lake cabin, and Marilyn and Ross routinely attended Cal Football games, played tennis, and provided a loving and nurturing home. Marilyn was simply the best mom ever. Having Marilyn as a mother was like winning the lottery. She was a remarkable, loving, smart, fun, sweet mom, who will be terribly missed. Go Bears!
Marilyn is survived by son Ross Mitchell Brown Jr. of Reno, Nevada (Nancy Pine), grandsons Ross Brown III and Christopher Brown (Chantel Brown) of Reno, Nevada, daughter Katie Brown of Fresno, daughter Jenny Brown of Los Angeles (Robert Di Paolo), and numerous step grandchildren and great grandchildren. In addition to Ross, Marilyn was preceded in death by her brother Mortimer (Tim) Smith III.
A Celebration of Life will be held at San Joaquin Country Club, Saturday, February 18th, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that remembrances be made to the Friends of the Fresno County Public Library, P.O. Box 4523, Fresno, CA. 93711.