Muriel Elizabeth Brothers
Muriel Elizabeth Brothers
Obituary
Guest Book
Muriel Brothers Obituary
Elizabeth was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the only child of Sydney Inman and Marguerite Taylor-Lindsay Brothers. She was a graduate of Vassar College and also attended Smith College's Junior Year Abroad program and Middlebury College's summer language school.
After holding senior development positions at Mount Holyoke and Rollins Colleges, she became a planned giving consultant in Central Florida.
For many years, Elizabeth arranged programs for the Financial Luncheon Group, an organization funded by several local foundations in order to increase financial literacy. She performed a similar function as vice president of the Florida Chapter of the American Association of Individual Investors.
An active volunteer, she served as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mayflower Retirement Center, president of two local Toastmasters Clubs, vice president of the Christopher D. Smithers Foundation, a trustee of the Bach Festival Society, a director of the Warren and August Hume Foundation, the Community Foundation of Central Florida, and the Central Florida Branch of the English-Speaking Union.
Elizabeth also was the first woman to serve as moderator of the First Congregational Church of Winter Park, the first woman member of the University Club of Winter Park and also served as its first woman president.
As the first woman in the country to head a major development program while at Mount Holyoke College, Elizabeth created Mastering Your Money, a financial planning program to meet the special needs of women. With support of the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, she continued the program during her tenure at Rollins College.
During her 43 years in Winter Park, Elizabeth was the recipient of many honors and awards, including the William Blackman Medal from Rollins, the Community Service Award from the University Club of Winter Park, the Legacy Award from the American Red Cross, the Cam Lusk and Demosthenes Awards from Toastmasters, and the Brakeley Award for creative Fund-Raising. She was named the Outstanding Professional Fund Raiser of the Year by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives and a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International for her work in philanthropy. Both Mount Holyoke and Rollins Colleges named her an honorary alumna.
A celebration of Elizabeth's life will be held at the Mayflower Retirement Center on May 1, 2023 at 3 pm. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may contribute to the Endowment Fund at the Mayflower Retirement Center, 1620 Mayflower Court, Winter Park, FL 32792.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Mary O'Dell
May 1, 2023
It was an honor to be friends with such a remarkable woman. What a legacy you left! We will miss you, Elizabeth. Thank you for lovely memories and for your friendship.
Paul Landsberg
April 28, 2023
What an inspiration to all who knew her. She was the light in the darkness and she will be missed. Mrs. Brothers, Jamie and I will make sure that your final wishes are taken care of and promise it will be exactly as you planned.
Sincerely,
Paul Landsberg
Former Food and Beverage Director
Paul Landsberg
April 28, 2023
Mrs. Brothers, you were truly an inspiration to all who knew you. You will be sorely missed. I made sure that your last requests were taken care of. I am a better person for knowing you.
Sincerely,
Paul Landsberg
Former Food and Beverage Director
Cheryl Collins
April 28, 2023
Elizabeth has served as an unofficial mentor to so many in the philanthropy field for so long. She supported me personally upon my arrival at Orlando Ballet and worked tirelessly to bring the Arts to residents and neighbors at The Mayflower. A woman I will admire for all my days. Rest in peace dear Elizabeth.
How you can show support
Send flowers
Consider sending flowers.
Add photos
Share their life with photo memories.
Plant trees
Honor them by planting trees in their memory.
Follow this page
Get email updates whenever changes are made.
Donate in Memory
Make a donation in memory of your loved one.
Share this page
Invite other friends and family to visit the page.
AM
April 28, 2023
A true lady.
Bill Bieberbach
April 27, 2023
Elizabeth was such a wonderful person!! She helped Rollins for years and the college was blessed to have her.
Will Graves
April 27, 2023
For decades, I've bragged about Rollins College professors, administrators, Presidents etc. Our
beloved Elizabeth Brothers more than held her own with the best of them. In fact, Elizabeth was nationally-known as the first woman in the country to head a major development program while at Mount Holyoke College. What a coup for my alma mater that Elizabeth Brothers would later bring her national expertise to Rollins as Thad Seymour, Rita Bornstein, Jack Critchfield, Arnold Wettstein and others had done.
I'll never forget Elizabeth suggesting we meet at
The First Congregational Church of Winter Park for the
handoff. A $30,000 check for Lisa Merlin House! As
Lisa Merlin House Co-Chairman, I knew who to call for help. What I didn't know then was that Elizabeth Brothers was the first woman to serve as moderator
of that church. And I also didn't know, that as Vice President of the Christopher D. Smithers Foundation,
Elizabeth had more than a little say in cutting that $30,000 check to benefit women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Lisa Merlin and I would later meet with numerous church leaders in Winter Park and Orlando. I'll never forget pitching another Winter Park church as Lisa Merlin looked on. "We're sorry we can't help now. Hal George was just here." It was like following The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. A familiar refrain around town. But, we salute what
Hal George and Thad Seymour have done for Habitat
For Humanity!
When General Norman Schwarzkopf's Aide-de-Camp
(Desert Storm) wrote me with an invitation to visit his
Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis outside Orlando (One of
30 Camps Worldwide founded by Paul Newman), I was so humbled by the visit that I contacted Thad and Elizabeth in support of my dream of helping the
Association of Hole in the Wall Camps in New Haven, Ct.
Imagine being told to sit in the front row of an empty
full-sized theater, in complete darkness, as the curtain
opens up to Paul Newman describing what you could do to help his camps. I dropped off my VHS tape of that to Elizabeth Brothers who would still have it, I'm sure.
After receiving what Jack Critchfield lovingly referred to as one of my Christmas missives (Christmas letter),
Elizabeth Brothers wrote me about her take on the subject of that Christmas letter, Warren Buffett. I'd
received a personal letter from Mr. Buffett, inviting me to his annual shareholder's meeting even though I wasn't a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder. You can imagine how much fun that was for a development whiz like Elizabeth.
So, when I read the very sad news in one of the five
print newspapers I read cover to cover daily, The
Orlando Sentinel, I felt as though I were reading a
Living Obituary of Elizabeth Brothers. Just look at what she did to help me on key projects in my life and multiply that by many thousands to cover the scope
of her hugely impactful, consequential life which is still alive and carrying on her causes in those she touched.
With Gods Richest Blessings To Elizabeth and Family,
Will and Rebecca Graves
Sharon Carrier
April 27, 2023
Elizabeth was a mighty force. I was honored to work with her on a Winter Park cultural resource guide for seniors who needed access to this information in print vs the internet. Her philanthropic acumen, professionalism, tenacity, and wit were legendary. I will miss her. Goodbye friend.
Phyllis Corkum
April 26, 2023
I am heartbroken. Elizabeth was a dear friend, a guide, and a role model. The great care she took to assist people, institutions, and the community are too numerous to name. From anonymously paying the dues for Mayflower staff to participate in the Toastmasters Club (that she founded and quietly supported) to securing million dollar gifts for her beloved Rollins, she lived a life of integrity, grace, compassion, empathy, style, discipline, and kindness. I feel fortunate to have known her.
Dan DeNicola
April 26, 2023
Elizabeth was one my very favorite people, full of wisdom and wit and charm. I cherish the period when we worked together at Rollins. And I'm heartbroken to know she's gone.
Showing 1 - 10 of 10 results
Make a Donation
in Muriel Brothers's name
How to support Muriel's loved ones
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?
What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
How to Cope With Grief
Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you.
Read more
Estate Settlement Guide
If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreWays to honor Muriel Brothers's life and legacy
Obituary Examples
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read more
