Heather Brown

Heather Erin (Reagan) Brown, born March 2, 1979, passed peacefully among family and friends on September 26, 2023 after a long battle against breast cancer. Heather was a bright light, a North Star, for many of her friends, family and professional colleagues. She was dedicated to her family, her friends, and to public service.
As a child, Heather was wise beyond her years. She was consistently committed to her academic studies and graduated from Windham High School as salutatorian of the class of '97. She was a legend on the soccer field and left very big shoes to fill when she left to play at the college level as a walk-on freshman. Heather was an accomplished singer and a member of the acclaimed Windham Chamber Singers when the choir gained international attention by winning the Prize of Vienna in Vienna, Austria in 1996.
She attended Marietta College in Ohio on scholarship where she learned how to communicate, a skill she would use at great length in her future career, and also in teaching and mentoring other young people through her volunteer work. She joined the Alpha Xi Delta sorority family to which she remained devoted long past her college years.
Heather moved to Long Island, New York to run a county-wide political race, where she met Seth. She then moved to New York City where she worked as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society while earning a Masters in Public Administration from CUNY-Baruch College. Upon her graduation she was awarded a prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship which took her to Washington D.C. She eventually rose to the position of the Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where she worked to reduce the cost of prescription drugs and improve public health. After 12 years in D.C., Heather and her family moved home to Maine where she served as the Assistant City Manager in Portland and enjoyed volunteering at her children's schools and for their sports teams.
Heather cared deeply for her family and loved being a mom. She leaves behind her awesome children, Ezra and Abigail, and her incredible husband, Seth. They loved to hike, garden, and cook together as a family. She also leaves her loving parents, Carl and Carol Reagan of Windham, two sisters, Cortney (Brendan) of Naples, Ashley (Adam) of Cumberland, nieces Finley, Marley, and Reagan and nephew Brody, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was also beloved by Seth's parents, Deborah and Wendy Brown of Long Beach, NY and his brother, Joshua of Cedarhurst, NY, and boatloads of friends, neighbors, and colleagues.
Heather spent her last days ensuring everyone was comfortable and had everything they needed – it was never about her. She gave of herself endlessly and blessed her friends and family with her words of encouragement.
It was Heather's hope that when she is remembered, that we "smile and then do something fun with the people you love."
The family would like to thank the Gosnell House for taking such amazing care of her in her final days.
Funeral services to honor Heather's incredible life will be held at Congregation Bet Ha'am at 81 Westbrook St. in South Portland on Monday, October 2 at 1 pm.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Maine Cancer Foundation in Heather's memory.