Carol Ann Brown

Brown, Carol Ann (Lois)

Carol Ann (Lois) Brown was born on the south side of Chicago, IL, on October 21, 1946. Mother and best friend to Debra Grahn. Daughter of Calvin and Viola Brown (mother's maiden name, Evans). Sister to Cathy Yost and Harold Brown. Aunt to Andrew Yost, Brian Brown, Sherri Starkus who is married with 4 boys. She graduated from Thomas Kelly High School in Chicago, IL and has an Associates Degree in Applied Science in Marketing and an Associates Degree in Marketing - Fashion Merchandising, both from Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI.

Carol Brown loved to garden. She knew everything about every flower and how to help it grow. She was always outside weeding and planting and taking care of her small, but beautiful yard. Often strangers would stop over just to tell her how stunning her garden was. Some drove around the block and came back to tell her in person to tell her how great her flowers looked. She was proud of this, and would work very hard every spring so people would smile as they drove passed her bright colorful flower garden.

Carol loved to invite people to go out to dinner. She was the type of person to get everyone's email and phone number, make a list and give a copy to everyone who was apart of whatever group she was hanging out with, whether it was Baby Boomers, "Double Bubble", or her Painting Art Classes, etc.. She wanted to make sure everyone could stay connected. (And you better not misplace that list.)

Carol volunteered at the Senior Center. She loved bringing desserts, taking some of the seniors out to dinner, sitting with them while they painted and making people laugh and smile.

She was an amazing abstract painter. Some of her painting have been in galleries around the fox cities. She wanted to be a ballet dancer when she was young.

One of the best memories many of us can share about my mom is how she loved to sing voice messages on your answering machine. They would be songs she made up about meeting her for dinner or goofy lyrics about you needing to call her back, or her version of a popular tune that she would change the words to fit the message she wanted you to hear.

Carol was always there and she always cared and worried about if you were happy.

"Friends are the family you meet along the way."

Carol Brown passed away last week, October 7, 2015 at 3:15 p.m. at Mercy Medical Center. Carol was independent and adventurous. The day she passed, she was behind her garage picking wild apples off an apple tree that bloomed for the first time this year. These healthy apples are size of a softball. We all know that she was picking those apples to make something for someone.

My mom wanted a party when she passed, so a party is what we will have! Please join us for a Happy Birthday Carol Brown, a celebration of life this Wednesday, October 21, 2015. from 3-6 p.m. at Players Pizza on Ohio Street in Oshkosh, WI. We will sing Happy Birthday sometime between 4:30-5 p.m. Birthday cards, celebration cards, memories and stories of laughter are all welcome.