Margaret Tress Brown

Margaret Tress Brown, resident of Conyers, Georgia, died November 7, 2025, at the age of 101. Born Margaret Woltz Tilley on August 20, 1924, in Bullock, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Herbert B. Tilley and Ellen Woltz Tilley. Throughout her century of life, she was a woman of many talents and achievements.
At the young age of 16, she graduated from high school and enrolled in Fuller's School of Stenography, Oxford, NC. Two years later, in 1942, her skillset led to her being recruited by the Safety Engineer of The Army Corps of Engineers, relocating her to Bluethenthal Army Air Base, a WWII training base in Wilmington, NC, where she initially met her future husband, Bob. Shortly thereafter, Margaret worked for the Army's Provost Marshal taking pictures of soldiers for their passports and fingerprinting civilians, earning a commendation from Washington, D.C., for her exceptional fingerprinting abilities. She later returned to Oxford, NC, and worked at Camp Butner, part of which was used as a German POW camp.
Bob & Margaret married in 1946, and upon their move to Georgia in 1952, they joined Lithonia Baptist Church (presently First Baptist Church of Lithonia), where her deep faith and commitment to community were evidenced by her active involvement. There she served in various capacities throughout the years including Training Union Director, children's Sunday School teacher alongside Shirley Hartness and Anne Gilbert, WMU member and leader of the Dayspring Group for 10 years.
In 1953, Margaret began her work of 13 years as secretary for the Lithonia School (the elementary and high schools were together at that time). Georgia Power became her next employer where she worked as a customer service representative for 22 years until her retirement in 1988. Her marriage to T.D. "Dick" Brown in May 1987 was a joyous occasion in her life.
Margaret was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Robert Lee Tress (1975) and Dick Brown (2012); all her siblings, Henry T. Tilley, William A. Tilley; Mary Leigh Noblin; and step-son, David Brown.
Survivors include her daughter, Linda Tress McCullough of Lithonia; son, Dr. Thomas D. Brown (Betty) of Gainesville; daughter, Gayle Brown Ragsdale of Covington; daughter-in-law, Dr. Elizabeth Brown of St. Simons Island; grandchildren, Matthew Karl Bryant (Mandy) of Lawrenceville, Cliff Brown (Julianne) of Demorest; Craig Brown of Gainesville, Dr. Beverly Brown of Pittsburgh, PA, Elizabeth Cantrell of Covington, Frank Ragsdale of Gainesville; great-grandchildren, Zac Bryant, Rachel Bryant, Stephens Brown, Anna Catherine Rivers (Adam), Julia Davis (Gant), Miles Brown (Amber), Connor Cantrell (McKenzie), Courtland Cantrell; great-great-grandchildren, Ayla & Emma Rivers, Brady Kate Davis, Tatum Brown; numerous nieces and nephews in PA, NC and FL.
A funeral service to honor Margaret's life will be held 2 o'clock, Sunday, November 16, 2025, at First Baptist Church of Lithonia, 6616 Hillandale Drive, Lithonia, Georgia, with Dr. Bob Lindsay and Dr. Jim Martin officiating and interment following in Hillandale Memorial Park. Cliff Brown, Craig Brown, Courtland Cantrell, Stephens Brown, Zac Bryant & Wilson Mathews will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service on Sunday at the church and on Saturday, November 15, from 2-4 p.m. at Henry Funeral Home, 6833 Church Street, Lithonia. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the General Ministries of FBC Lithonia, PO Box 378, Lithonia, Georgia 30058.