Loa Jean Brown

LOA JEAN “JEEN” BURNINGHAM BROWN

1949-2020

Loa Jean “Jeen” Burningham Brown, age 70, was gloriously reunited with her parents, brothers, and two sons on May 4, 2020. Jeen’s trademark creativity, sharp mind, and strong spirit were temporarily imprisoned by the devastating disease Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, liberated only by death while comforted and surrounded by her loving family.

Jeen was born in Salt Lake City on June 21st, 1949 to Rulon and Margie Burningham. She was the only sister to big brothers Gary, Dee, Rodney (deceased age 2), and the youngest Kim, who was 13 years old when Little Loa arrived.  Her light shone brightly from the beginning, stoked by her loving and tightly knit family. She would be dolled and dressed up, preened by a proud mother who finally got her (surprise!) little girl.   At just 6 years old she made her fashionista debut when she was featured on the cover of Farmers’ Co-operator magazine, her exquisite little dress covered in baby chicks. (60 years later, Jeen would re-create this photo shoot with her granddaughters and a couple of happy baby chicks.) The sparkle of pageantry in her broad smile, she modeled the latest fashions for ZCMI, was crowned Miss Utah Mink, Miss Bountiful’s 1st attendant and named Army ROTC and Military Ball Queen.

Jeen attended and graduated from Bountiful High School in 1968, displaying an early aptitude for leadership as school Publicity Manager, vice president of ZCMI Youngtimers, officer of the Utah Speech Arts Guild, participated in school plays, debate, sports, dancing, synchronized swimming, and sewing. Shoulder ever to the wheel, attended college at the University of Utah while in her leisure time serving on the ASUU Executive Council, Campus Affairs Board, Programs Council, Army Sponsors, Debate team, was a member of Delta Delta Delta, Delta Sigma Rho, and Tau Kappa Alpha. She graduated from the U with high honors, a degree in Home Economics, and a wonderful husband who would always make her laugh.

Roger D. Brown swept Jeen off her feet, picked her back up, apologized, and married her in the Salt Lake Temple in 1970. This December marks 50 years of marriage; 50 years of true and eternal love, respect, partnership, sacrifice and devotion, through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, a united front, and good sportsmanship even during the convenient disappearance of Roger’s hearing aids.

Making Bountiful their permanent home, Jeen and Roger had 4 beautiful children—Bryce, Jennifer, Brian, and Brady. As a young mother and professional homemaker, Jeen loved to make memories and create with the kids—she crafted ornate Halloween costumes for the family, sewed designer clothes, pieced together beautiful quilts, decorated their stylish home, learned gourmet cooking, and was the loudest, most obnoxious mom at soccer, baseball, cheerleading events, gymnastics, and basketball games. When life was rough and the kids tested every limit and possibly even broke the law, Jeen grew to rely upon and embrace the practice of tough love and forgiveness. Very tough, tough love. All 4 kids knew their mother loved them unconditionally, and most believed they were her favorite.

Every silver lining has its dark cloud. A tragic accident took the life of 6-year-old Brian in 1986. Jeen tried to help her older children through their own devastating grief while her own soul was too heavy to carry alone. Her only reprieve was crafting, where she could focus on one thing until completion. She made a floppy little stuffed bunny and sewed a tiny dress and apron. Friends and family saw her bunny and asked where she bought it. This surge of energy and confidence led to a partnership with an importer who helped her purchase a “container” of stuffed bunnies from overseas. Jeen was stunned when a huge shipping container showed up and filled the basement with thousands of cloth bunnies.

Jeen started to sew. She made dresses, hats, aprons and bows for the bunnies. The bunnies sold so quickly that Jeen needed to import more bunnies and hire a few people to help her out. Turning pain into purpose, she co-founded Wimpole Street Creations where she imported textiles used for crafting and sewing, eventually negotiating contracts with hundreds of fabric and craft stores all over the country. She co-authored more than 40 books and patterns and was involved in design, product development and marketing, and, of course, shattering the glass ceiling.

With Jeen at the helm, Wimpole Street Creations became a Bountiful icon. It was a place where high school kids could get their first jobs putting kits together and working in the warehouse. Mothers were able to work part time to help with family finances. A strong, no-nonsense, intuitive, creative, savvy female business owner was the role model her employees needed to learn the value of hard work, confidence, creating their own opportunities, and self-confidence.

Keeping her mother Margie’s traditions alive was important to Jeen, who designed their home for entertaining family and friends. They hosted the annual Brown family Christmas auction, 24th of July, baby showers, and holiday dinners, New Year’s Day celebrations—so many parties that sometimes they even forgot they were hosting parties down in the basketball court with fog machines and Starburst candy and best teenage friends who *also* forgot to ring the doorbell or thank the Browns for a pleasant evening. Jeen’s favorite tradition was Christmas Morning. Each year the Burningham family would gather for a massive breakfast of Mickey Mouse waffles, sausage and eggs, followed by a gift exchange and an epic wrapping paper battle. Throngs of sweaty children, delirious with sugar, each received an impeccably wrapped present from Aunt Jeen and Uncle Roger. Thoughtful gifts like Play-Doh, finger paints, lifelike toy drums and band instruments, jewelry-making kits with billions of tiny beads, Play-Doh, permanent markers, massive jigsaw puzzles, little xylophones with heavy wooden mallets, Play-Doh, microphones that really worked, and interactive children’s books with buttons that played actual animal sounds and magical batteries that STILL work!

Jeen loved the gospel of Jesus Christ, demonstrated through years of church service and magnified by her strong faith.  She loved taking her granddaughters to church. Ward members often reminisce about Roger and Jeen proudly leading their parade of little girls, all wearing matching dresses, tights, and shoes, into the chapel to take their seats. “Love One Another” and “Families Can Be Together Forever” were among Jeen’s favorite songs she pretended to sing; messages she relied upon to help her through the darkest of days. Jeen’s church callings throughout the years became opportunities to share her talents. While serving in the Primary Presidency, she developed forever friendships with the other ladies in the Presidency, and together they breathed new life into the program.  Jeen led thoughtful discussions as Relief Society teacher, brought in over-the-top centerpieces made with her trademarked laces, tablecloths, runners, and doilies. Once she led an Enrichment class where she taught the sisters how to operate a Palm Pilot! (Like an iPhone, kids, but from the olden days.) Jeen is also rumored to have been literally everybody’s Primary teacher at some point.

Jeen was active within the business community, where she received the 1993 U.S. Small Business Administration District Director’s Award, served on the Board of Directors for West One Bank of Utah, and Lakeview Hospital’s Board.

Lightning rarely strikes twice, but not for Jeen and Roger. In 2007 their son Bryce (33), was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma and died 3 months later. Grief smothered the Brown family, still Jeen found enough strength to take her granddaughter overnight once per week to give Bryce’s widow a chance to grieve alone. Around the same time, Jenni and her 3-year-old daughter moved into the house after their own traumatic year. Theirs was a home of deep sadness for several years.

Wimpole Street had been a successful business for nearly 30 years.  Jeen decided to downsize and move Wimpole Street a mile away. During the move, all the Wimpole employees happened to be at the new building, when a helicopter fell out of the sky and crashed through the roof of their beloved Wimpole Street building, landing in Roger’s office. The helicopter exploded into flames, fatally trapping its two occupants. The fire set the sprinklers off, soaking everything in the building, including Jeen’s inventory. Jeen stood in the street in front of her beloved building for hours, as black water streamed out the front doors and the roof smoldered.

This was a sentinel event for Jeen, as her stress became increasingly unmanageable. She was forgetting the names of the kids, her balance off, her speech was slurred; doctors were perplexed. The symptoms were concerning, but Jeen would not slow down, as she had a business to operate. Over the next year her conditioned worsened; she was always exhausted and depleted. It was time to finally close the business that had saved her life, many years ago. The family rallied around Jeen and Roger and helped tie up loose ends. It was a bittersweet time, but it brought the family closer as a result.

Finally, she received her diagnosis of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Her body was failing, and there was nothing in the world that could slow or reverse it. Creekside, a brand-new care center, opened for business precisely when Jeen could no longer live in her own home. This was exceptionally difficult for Roger, who loved being with Jeen. They were a team, a unit practically joined at the hip, running every mundane errand together and holding hands while watching HGTV.   For almost 2 years, Roger showed up daily for a lunch date with his sweetheart. He would help Jeen to the dining area and tenderly feed her, put her back in bed, and sit in his special recliner next to her hospital bed, and hold Jeen’s hand as they napped, HGTV whispering in the background. Jenni sat with her momma every morning, keeping her company as the grandbabies crawled on grandma. Everybody stayed by her side around the clock when the end was near, reminiscing and giving grandma lots of kisses. On May 4, 2020. She passed from this plane to another, surrounded by her family, who couldn’t be prouder of the life she lived and the legacy she leaves in her family and community.

Jeen is survived by husband Roger D. Brown, daughter Jenni (Russ) Burraston, son Brady (Ashley) Brown, daughter-in- law Tammy (Britten) Martin, and 9 grandchildren: McKenna, Danika, Dreya, Bennett, Decker, Hudson, Marshall, Zaida, and little Mila.

We love you, Jeen. You have fought a good fight. You have finished your course. You have kept the faith. Give the boys big hugs from all of us. We will miss you.

Because of the current conditions, there will be a private family visitation on Saturday, May 9th at Lindquist’s Bountiful Mortuary, 727 N. 400 E. Bountiful.  At 2:00 p.m. a Graveside Service will be held at Lakeview Memorial Estates 1640 E. Lakeview Dr. Bountiful, Utah. Condolences may be shared at www.lindquistmortuary.com

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