Connie Marie Brown, 71, passed away peacefully on October 25, 2025, in Bellingham, Washington. Born in Dover, Ohio on January 21, 1954 to Willard and Norma Brown, she was the youngest of three, following Rebecca Spear, née Brown, and Steven Brown. She lived a rich and wholehearted life defined by compassion, adventure, and deep devotion to the people she loved.
After graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in social work, she moved to Montrose, Colorado with her closest college friend, Zoe. There, she began her career as a social worker - a calling she cherished. Montrose was also where she met her future husband, Joseph Vessels, who inspired her love of the outdoors. After their mountaintop wedding, they welcomed their first son, Dillon Vessels, into the world. Montrose is where she planted roots of deep friendships that she always knew she would return to later in life.
Her family grew once more after a move to Roseburg, Oregon, with the birth of their second son, Jordan Vessels. Afterwards, the family moved to Worland, Wyoming, where she and her husband raised their two sons together.
Connie and Joe's marriage was a profound and lifelong love story; his passing at a young age remained a loss she carried tenderly for the rest of her life.
In the years that followed, she spent time in Seattle to be near her sons during their college years, before returning to Montrose to reconnect with the friends who had become like family. Most recently, she settled in Bellingham to be close to her son, Dillon.
Above all, she loved the outdoors. She backpacked and camped on countless trips - first with her husband, and later with her children. She was an avid skier, paddleboarder, and hiker. She had a lifelong love of music that she passed on to her children. Jazz and blues would often be heard in her house. Live music was one of her favorite ways to spend an evening and connect with her friends and family. Her vibrant social circle in Montrose was built around these passions; together they shared adventures, laughter, and an enduring bond.
Generous with her time and spirit, she supported numerous charitable causes and volunteered with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and KVNF - Montrose's local public radio station.
She nurtured deep connections with family throughout her life - her sons and their partners, her parents, her brother and sister, her nieces and nephews, and her husband's family, whom she continued to embrace after his passing. After retirement, she traveled the world with her sister, creating memories that she treasured.
She is remembered as a loving mother, a devoted wife, a loyal friend, and a steady, joyful presence who encouraged those around her to follow their dreams and be themselves. Her legacy of kindness, adventure, and unwavering love lives on in her family and all whose lives she touched.
A Memorial is planned in the Spring of 2026 in Columbus, OH.
After graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in social work, she moved to Montrose, Colorado with her closest college friend, Zoe. There, she began her career as a social worker - a calling she cherished. Montrose was also where she met her future husband, Joseph Vessels, who inspired her love of the outdoors. After their mountaintop wedding, they welcomed their first son, Dillon Vessels, into the world. Montrose is where she planted roots of deep friendships that she always knew she would return to later in life.
Her family grew once more after a move to Roseburg, Oregon, with the birth of their second son, Jordan Vessels. Afterwards, the family moved to Worland, Wyoming, where she and her husband raised their two sons together.
Connie and Joe's marriage was a profound and lifelong love story; his passing at a young age remained a loss she carried tenderly for the rest of her life.
In the years that followed, she spent time in Seattle to be near her sons during their college years, before returning to Montrose to reconnect with the friends who had become like family. Most recently, she settled in Bellingham to be close to her son, Dillon.
Above all, she loved the outdoors. She backpacked and camped on countless trips - first with her husband, and later with her children. She was an avid skier, paddleboarder, and hiker. She had a lifelong love of music that she passed on to her children. Jazz and blues would often be heard in her house. Live music was one of her favorite ways to spend an evening and connect with her friends and family. Her vibrant social circle in Montrose was built around these passions; together they shared adventures, laughter, and an enduring bond.
Generous with her time and spirit, she supported numerous charitable causes and volunteered with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and KVNF - Montrose's local public radio station.
She nurtured deep connections with family throughout her life - her sons and their partners, her parents, her brother and sister, her nieces and nephews, and her husband's family, whom she continued to embrace after his passing. After retirement, she traveled the world with her sister, creating memories that she treasured.
She is remembered as a loving mother, a devoted wife, a loyal friend, and a steady, joyful presence who encouraged those around her to follow their dreams and be themselves. Her legacy of kindness, adventure, and unwavering love lives on in her family and all whose lives she touched.
A Memorial is planned in the Spring of 2026 in Columbus, OH.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Connie Marie Brown, please visit our flower store.
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