Dr.Judge Claudia Brown Ph.D.

Funeral services for Dr. Judge Claudia Brown, Ph.D., 81 of Killeen, TX will be held Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at Greater Vision Community Church in Killeen, TX.  A private family interment will be held at a later date. 

Viewing will be held two hours prior to the service (8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.) at the church. 

Dr. Brown passed away December 15, 2020 in Killeen, TX. 

Claudia (Dennis) Brown was born to Celestine Viola and Charles Robert Dennis. Sr. on February 22, 1939 in Baltimore City, Maryland. The first of three children, she was raised in a loving family and at different times in her life lived with her Aunt Norma and her grandmother, Evangeline Barnum. Though she grew up in the segregated McCulloh Projects in Baltimore City, she was able to attend ballet classes, violin lessons, and modeling school. She was also introduced to the symphony orchestra.

She graduated from the well known Douglas High School for African Americans in Baltimore City and went on to receive her  Bachelor of Science degree from Coppin State University in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts degree from Antioch College in Planning and Administration and at the young age of 65 years, she earned her Doctorate of Philosophy degree from Union Institute and University in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences with a specialty in Urban Education.

Dr Claudia Brown never took no for an answer. She never let the racism and segregation of her youth dampen her dreams. As a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, educator and leader, she was an advocate for justice, education, and as Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”

As a lifelong educator, she received many accreditations, including an Advanced Professional Certificate in Elementary and Middle school Education from Coppin State University, Baltimore, MD, and Teaching Children at Risk and Planning from workshops at Harvard School of Education, in Boston, MA; Contract Negotiation from the University of Maryland College Park, Maryland; and she completed the Texas Justice Court Training from Texas State University. She also attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation Citizens’ Academy.

Dr. Brown worked as a Social Worker in Baltimore City following the disciplinarians of welfare, housing, medical and psychiatry. She then commenced a 30-year career as an educator in the Baltimore City Public School system culminating as a highly respected and recognized middle school principal. Following her retirement, she served as a Maryland State licensed commissioner for eight years.

She moved to Texas in 2005 to help her son raise her grandson while his wife, an enlisted Soldier, was a deployed at Fort Hood, Texas. In 2007, she was elected as an Honorable Killeen City Council Member. She later served as a Killeen Human Resources Coordinator, a KISD Substitute Teacher and an ambassador for the City of Killeen on a trip to its sister city- Osan, Korea.

As a committed public servant who was concerned about the need for criminal justice reform, Dr. Brown made the bold and unprecedented decision to run for Bell County Justice of the Peace. She stunned her peers when she won, defeating a 21-year public official to become the first African American and first Democrat to be elected to a county wide seat in the 167-year history of Bell County, Texas. The Honorable Judge Claudia Brown was 78 years old when she was sworn in as the first ever African American Justice of the Peace, precinct 4, place 1.

Her membership included Phi-Delta Kappa at Johns Hopkins University, the Baltimore City Commission for Women, Killeen (Noon) Lions Club, Innovation Black Chamber of Commerce, and a life member of the NAACP,. She was active in her church, Greater Vision Community Church, where she sang in the choir and served as a Sunday School teacher. During her “spare time” she was: an innovator, a piano player, short stories author and a poet.

Dr Brown’s community service includes Founder and President of the Parkhill Edge Green Neighborhood Association in Baltimore, Maryland; President of the President’s Council of the Greater Homewood Community Corporation in Baltimore Maryland; Secretary of the Killeen Sister Cities Inc., 2nd and 3rd Vice President of the Killeen Noon Lions Club and, until her death, she served as founder and coordinator of Killeen Thunder Creek Community Association.

Some of Dr. Brown’s awards include numerous citations from the Mayor, City of Baltimore, five Baltimore City Council Resolutions, five Unsung Black Heroine awards from Baltimore City, a Maryland Senate Citation, two Maryland House of Delegation Resolutions, four Senator Ralph Hughes Community Service Awards, a Fort Hood Texas, Women’s History Month Award, 1st Cavalry Division and Greater Vision Church Sunday School teacher award.

She is survived by the apple of her eye, her daughter, Robin Davis, her sister, Norma Cole, her grandchildren Dante Davis, Quierra Davis, Kevin Davis, Jr. and Ryleigh Davis; her daughter-in-law, Marlene Davis and a host of family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Sr. and Celestine Dennis, her son Kevin Davis, Jr., and her former husband, Command Sergeant Major William Brown.

Live streaming can be viewed at greatervisioncc.org.