Phebe Turner Brown

Phebe Turner Brown, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on January 22, 2026 at the age of 83.

Born on April 16, 1942, Phebe grew up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey was the middle sister to Michel and Margo. From an early age, she was known for her independence, charm, and sharp sense of humor-qualities that stayed with her throughout her life. She graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in Political Science and soon after married Roger Allen Brown, a West Point graduate. Together they built a life as part of the military community, moving every few years from New York to New Mexico, Leavenworth to Virginia, then to Wiesbaden, Germany, and later to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and finally back to Virginia.

As a military spouse, Phebe created a home wherever she landed, volunteering, playing tennis, running, and building and nurturing friendships that spanned decades and continents. With her warmth and a personality that lit up every room, she drew people into her orbit. She had a special way of turning neighbors into friends and friends into chosen family. After her amicable divorce, she made Old Town Alexandria her permanent home, where she lived for more than three decades in Yates Gardens, a close-knit community she treasured.

Phebe enjoyed a rewarding career in retail, beginning at the Bathtique in Springfield Mall and culminating as the Store Manager of Williams Sonoma on South Washington Street in Alexandria. Along the way, she also worked at Martha's Pink House, Woodard & Lorthop, and Talbots, which fed her love of fashion and jewelry. At Williams Sonoma, she became a better cook, trained fellow managers, helped open new stores across the east coast, and earned nationwide recognition for her exceptional customer service-an honor that reflected her natural ability to connect with people.

After retiring from her retail career, Phebe took on a variety of volunteer roles where she found purpose. During the Clinton Administration, she volunteered weekly answering the phones at the White House calling center, which provided some entertaining fodder for cocktail conversation. For many years, she also managed and staffed the local Al-Anon office offering help and compassion to others through the journey of supporting a family member impacted by addiction.

Phebe is survived by her older sister Michel Kimball, often mistaken as her twin, and younger sister Margo Doscher. Vermont held a special place in her heart from childhood through adulthood, and it was there that she spent many happy summers with her sisters, creating cherished memories together. She is also survived by her children Douglas Brown and Colony Brown, and son-in-law, Derick Naef. She was a proud grandmother to Turner, Sullivan, and Elsa Naef, and Chloé McFarland, and a great-grandmother to Anthony and Autumn McFarland. Phebe often shared how glad she was to live close to her two children and one of her favorite sayings was that she was a "happy camper."

A lifelong dog lover, Phebe was the happiest camper in the company of her golden retrievers-Colonel, Max, Tucker, Storm, and Zebediah (Zeb). In retirement, she found joy in spoiling her dogs and taking daily walks to Jones Point Park, where she built yet another close circle of friends among fellow dog walkers.

In 2018, Phebe was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, which later progressed into dementia. She spent her last three and half years at Silverado Memory Care, where Zeb remained faithfully by her side until his death in 2023. Even there, Phebe continued to thrive, being her vivacious self, reading voraciously, enjoying time outdoors, and forming new friendships-often with four-legged visitors. Though her memory faded, her essence never did: her humor, warmth, joy, and deep love for her family and friends remained present until the very end.

She will be remembered for her quick wit, strong opinions, her nightly gin and tonics (Tanqueray and Schweppes only), and her love of cards, crossword puzzles, books, jewelry, and playful banter. Above all, she will be remembered for her fierce loyalty, generosity, and unwavering devotion to her family, friends, and dogs.

The family is deeply grateful for the kindness, respect, and exceptional care shown to Phebe by the staff and friends at Silverado, who truly made her life richer and longer. Special thanks to Nurse "(A-Team) Amy" and Dr. Vivek Sinha, Phebe's physician, whose compassion, kindness, and guidance were an extraordinary source of comfort to Colony and Doug.

Phebe leaves behind a legacy of humor, love, optimism, and connection that will live on in all who were lucky enough to know her.

A celebration of Phebe's life will be held on her birthday, April 16, in Old Town, Alexandria. More details will be available soon. In lieu of flowers, her wish was that donations in her honor be made to Golden Retriever Rescue Education and Training (GRREAT): the organization that helped her adopt several of her beloved Goldens.