Antoinette Brown Brumbaugh

Dreams go, but memories keep.* Toni Brown Brumbaugh died peacefully at home in Woodacre, CA on August 8, 2022, attended by her caring caregivers. She was born to Stuart Gerry Brown and Katharine (Kay) Franchot Brown on November 15, 1938 in Madison, WI. Kay and Stuart divorced in 1940 and Kay married John (Jack) N.M. Howells in 1942. Toni was raised in the suburbs of Boston by Kay and Jack while Stuart relocated to Hawaii. Toni was a San Geronimo Valley resident since the 70s, though in later years made Hawaii her second home. Toni graduated from Bennington College with a BA in Creative Writing and Literature and attended the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts for one year. She later returned to academia, got an MA in Clinical Psychology, and began a practice. In 1973, Toni married John Brumbaugh, though later divorced. Their son Michael was born in 1975. In the '60s Toni heard the call, "Go west, young woman," and moved to Berkeley, California. She became a singer and versatile songwriter/musician in Berkeley through the '60s and '70s, first with the band Crabgrass. In 1967 she met Terry Garthwaite and the two women put together Joy of Cooking, a pioneering rock band featuring Toni and Terry's singing, songwriting, and instrumental talents matched with a lively rhythm section. Joy of Cooking made three albums together on Capitol Records: Joy of Cooking, Closer to the Ground, and Castles. Toni and Terry made an album in Nashville (Cross Country) and another duo recording for Fantasy Records (The Joy) before heading off to solo projects (Toni on MCA Records). We are living in our children's house.**Toni never forgot her family's belief in giving back to society. As a therapist, Toni founded a non-profit transitional house, Four Winds West, in Fairfax, CA, for at-risk young adults. Four Winds West took on Bedrock Records in San Rafael, to create a positive impact on their young clients and provide a bridge to employment in the Four Winds West community. Toni also took up fine art photography and traveled around the world taking photographs, many featuring tropical flowers and birds of Hawaii enhanced in her digital darkroom and sold the images through her website. Toni is survived by her two sons, Michael Joad Brumbaugh of Larkspur, CA, and Jeffrey Hull of Amsterdam, Netherlands; half-sister Polly Hayes Howells (Eric Werthman) of New York; lifelong friends Terry Garthwaite of San Geronimo, Susan Grant, Molly Giles, Kelly Bryan, Kathy Chestnut, Sandy from Bolinas, Mark Stricker, caregiving friend and gardener Kathy Perkins of Woodacre, and former husband John Brumbaugh; half-brothers, Gerry Brown and Tom Brown of Hawaii, predeceased Toni. A private memorial service for family and friends is planned for the Spring and a local art show of her wonderful photography is in the works.*(Too Late, But Not Forgotten, Joy of Cooking 1971, T. Brown music and lyrics). **(Children's House, Joy of Cooking 1971, T. Brown music and lyrics).