• Johnnie Hall Brown, 88, passed away peacefully with her family gathered around her in Milwaukie, Oregon.  Born in Louisiana to Willard and Hettie Hall, the first of three children, her family moved to Cleveland, Ohio and ensured she and her siblings could participate in a variety of activities and have access to opportunities.

            Although her father came from a large Methodist family and her mother came from a large Baptist family, they enrolled her in Catholic school. She loved music from a young age, and soon started singing in English and Latin at the Little Flower Catholic Church in Monroe, Louisiana. 

            In Ohio, while attending Fenn College, she joined and integrated the local Roman Catholic Newman Club, which was located at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. The only African American and woman at that location, she became an officer in the Newman Club, traveling with the Ohio delegation to their 1957 annual conference in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. She shared several stories about that occasion, which was written about in the New York Times newspaper https://www.nytimes.com/1957/08/24/archives/catholic-groups-will-meet-here-newman-club-members-and-chaplains.html. And she shared about her experiences living in Cleveland, such as, writing flyers and programs for Karamu House Theatre and people she met. When she moved to Colorado, she joined the Newman Club at the University of Denver.

            In Denver, Johnnie worked in the office at her Aunt Mildred and Uncle Peter Moore’s plumbing business in the Five Points community, where she met a Methodist, Austin T. Brown, who worked in programming and advertising for a local radio station. After finding they had many interests in common, from reading and writing to music to cultural events to driving the same make and model car -different colors (both bought before they met)- they decided to marry a month later at her Catholic Church in Denver. And a year later, welcomed their first of four children. The family moved to Alaska then to Maryland for Austin’s new work as a technical writer. 

            In addition, to office and retail work, wherever she lived, Johnnie loved helping people and volunteered with local churches and organizations by driving elderly to their doctor’s appointments and grocery shopping; and stocking food pantries and feeding the homeless. Showing her love for the Lord, she shared her faith with everyone she met.

            Spending time visiting and fellowshipping with extended family and friends meant everything to her, whether reunions, holidays or special occasions and, especially, attending church in Louisiana- - at her Uncle, Reverend Willie Mims, Baptist church in Shreveport or worshiping at her Uncle, Mayor Harry Mims, Baptist church in East Hodge or at various church revivals or catching the spirit down home at the family’s Methodist church in Natchitoches or the family’s Baptist church in Pleasant Hill. 

            In Maryland and the DC area, Johnnie stayed steadfastly involved with her children’s public school education and joined the PTA. She encouraged her children, nieces, nephews, extended family and their friends to learn all types of subjects and to participate in activities, such as, Scouts, music, art, chess, rollerskating, wrestling, baseball and other sports and community recreation, being their designated driver most of the time.

  A life well-lived, Johnnie was preceded in death by Austin, her sons Michael and Allan and her sister, Willa Faye Burton. She is survived by daughters Jan Anderson (Scott) and Lyn Brown, granddaughters Teena Jacks (Phil), and Nena Perry-Brown, brother Willard Hall, Jr (Beth), brother-in-law Anderson (Andy) Brown, sister-in-law Carol Brown, great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Johnnie was beloved by many, and will be deeply missed.  

Our family would like to acknowledge and extend our deepest gratitude to all our family, friends, Providence Hospital, Sunnyside Little Chapel of the Chimes, Milwaukie Church, and others too numerous to mention, for your support, encouragement, and spiritual strength throughout Johnnie's transition into the loving arms of Jesus her Savior.