Mary Thorpe (Thorpe) Brown

CONWAY-Mary Thorpe Brown, born in New Haven, Connecticut, on January 3, 1932, died peacefully at her home in Conway, Massachusetts, on September 24th, surrounded by her husband and children. Her joyful life was enriched by close family and dear friends, a passion for beautiful design, and decades as a devoted family therapist.

            Mary graduated in 1953 with a degree in business from the University of Connecticut. The following year, she sailed to Germany to marry Bruce Brown, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. She immediately started working with the Red Cross as assistant to the field director at the army base in Baumholder, a role that marked the beginning of Mary’s journey into a life of social service.

            She found boundless delight in people. Whether serving those in need in the communities where she lived or worked—from Mendham, New Jersey, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to most recently, Greenfield, Massachusetts—or simply conversing with strangers in New York City or neighbors in Conway, Mary cherished the simple gift of human interaction and helping others in their most trying circumstances. Her commitment ranged far and wide. She served as president of the League of Women Voters of Mendham-Chester, on the Board of Governors of the New Jersey League of Women Voters, as a volunteer for President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty, and on the board of Tapestry Health Systems. After completing a master’s degree in social work at Rutgers, she launched a counseling career and practiced as a family therapist until age 79.

            During a fulfilling, busy life—raising three children, restoring an 1830 farmhouse in Conway, tending to colorful landscapes in her serene garden, serving clients, supporting the arts locally, and traveling widely—Mary kept up a deep, abiding interest in the piano. A student of Chungyo Shin for many years, she and Bruce relished attending classical concerts and opera performances in the many cities their travels took them. When in Manhattan, Mary savored the arts, attending Broadway plays and the opera; she was also a passionate late-night patron of piano bars! Her musical soul found expression and joy everywhere, from the challenging works of Schubert and Schumann to show tunes and Christmas carols.

            She had the spirit of a true artist. Friends and family are well acquainted with her trademark sense of style: from her keen sense of color and form to her studied appreciation of texture and balance. She will live in memory as one of the kindest, most delightful, and insightful women, possessed of a joie de vivre, a ready sense of humor, and a determined dedication to social justice and public service. At home, her hospitality knew no bounds; she was a gracious hostess who entertained old friends and welcomed new acquaintances with equal warmth and sensitivity. As her granddaughter Samantha once said, “She spreads love to everyone she meets.” That sentiment extends to Mary’s beloved pets; she loved a long succession of faithful dogs, each one more than the last. 

            Mary is survived by her devoted husband Bruce, her children Richard and his wife Judyth Crystal, David and his daughter Samantha, and Katherine and her husband John Haworth and their son William. She was predeceased by her parents, Janet and Raymond Thorpe, and David’s wife, Andrea Williams Brown.

            In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary’s memory may be made to Tapestry Health, a community health organization in Western Massachusetts (giving@tapestryhealth.org.), Baystate Franklin Medical Center (https://www.baystatehealth.org/giving) and Hospice of Franklin County (http://www.hospicefc.org/donate/).

            A celebration of Mary’s life will be held on Saturday, October 8th, at 2 pm at the First Church of Deerfield, in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Avalon Life Celebration Center & Cremation Services, Southwick, MA, is handling arrangements.

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