MaryAnn Brown

MaryAnn Brown

“Nanny”

January 26, 1945 ~ September 22, 2019

It is with great sadness that the family of MaryAnn Brown, age 74, announces her passing after complications due to Parkinson’s Disease on Sunday, September 22, 2019. She was surrounded by her loving family when God called her home. MaryAnn was born on January 26, 1945 in West Allis, WI to Cecil A. and Cecilia A. Brown. She was raised and baptized in the Catholic Church in WI and her faith in God was strong. She graduated from Nathan High School in West Allis, WI in 1963. She married Larry B. McKenzie, Sr. on January 29, 1965 in Waukesha, WI. They shared four children together. They later divorced but remained friends. New Year’s Eve of 1990 she met Michael J. Brown on a blind date. Within two weeks they knew they were meant to be together. They fell in love and were later married on August 10, 2001 in Ogden, UT. They spent many happy years together before her passing.

MaryAnn was a lifelong, diehard, true blue Green Bay Packers fan. She enjoyed baking (her house always smelled of rolls and chocolate chip cookies), four-wheeling, RV travels, fishing (even with worms), playing Dominoes and Mahjong with Pop, and vacations with her children. She loved watching Game Show Network with her girls and participating in the annual Football Pick’em and Eliminator pools with her son. She also enjoyed watching her granddaughters dance, her grandsons play sports, and any other activities they participated in. She was their biggest fan and supported and cheered them on at all of their events. She was extremely proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and bragged about them all of the time. Her greatest joy was being surrounded by her family.

Today society tends to judge the value of a person’s life based on their wealth, power, and celebrity status. MaryAnn may not have been famous, but she was respected and admired by her family. She was not a four star general or an Olympic gold medalist, but she was brave, strong, and confident. To the world she was a kind, compassionate, and lovely woman. To her family, she was a queen. She never ran a Fortune 500 company, yet she ruled the game boards, all while doing the ironing and preparing kruschikis and apple turnovers, making it look so easy. MaryAnn was not wealthy but she was extremely rich. She had all the things no amount of money could buy, such as the love and adoration of all who knew her, a positive never give up attitude, and a silly sense of humor. She was wise, genuine, patient and forgiving. She possessed so many wonderful qualities and had a heart of gold. Her family always came first. She leaves behind a beautiful legacy of a life that touched and shaped so many.

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die. (Thomas Cambell)

MaryAnn is survived by and will be lovingly remembered by the love of her life and husband of 18 years, Michael J. Brown. She was and always will be his “Sweetie”. She is remembered by her former husband, Larry McKenzie, Sr. (Marla, her dear friend); as well as Larry and MaryAnn’s precious children, Theresa (Jon) Craner, Cindy (Tommy) Land, Larry “Butch” (Jana) McKenzie, Jr. and Laurie McKenzie. She will also be remembered by her brother, Frank Brown and sister, Carol (Gary) Kuehl of WI; along with her grandchildren, Samantha (Brant) West, Cecilie (Devin) Craner, Hayden Craner, Tyson (Andrea) Land, Colton (Candice) Land, Austin (Taylor) Land, Payton Land, Mason and Sawyer McKenzie, Katie Opdyk, and Jenna McKenzie; and great-grandchildren, Sebastian Sanders, Gunnison West and Quinn Joy Land.

MaryAnn was preceded in death by her parents, Cecil and Cecilia Brown; her brother Cecil (Barb) Brown; along with three grandchildren, Christian and Hannah Craner and Brecklin Land.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 514 East 24th Street, Ogden, UT 84401, presided by Father Joseph Minuth. Friends may visit with family on Saturday from 10:30 to 11 a.m. at the church. Interment, West Point City Cemetery. The family will gather for prayers and a private moment to say their goodbyes prior to the service at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. John Hemmersmier for his time, care, and compassion that he showed her over the past years.

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