Kathleen "Kathy" Lynn Brown

Kathleen “Kathy” Lynn Brown, 68, of Blacklick, OH, and formerly of Marysville, OH, passed away on February 3, 2025. Kathy graduated from Big Walnut High School and Delaware County Career Center before earning a Bachelor’s Degree from Bluffton College and a Master’s Degree from John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University.

After an early successful career in Cosmetology, Kathy went back to school to pursue social work, which she considered a calling. She was a tireless advocate and professionally served domestic violence victims, students and parents, incarcerated inmates, and others through the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Ohio Department of Corrections, Ohio Housing Finance Agency, and others. As a trauma response professional, she traveled to New York City in October of 2001 to accompany and support the families of 9/11 victims as they visited Ground Zero.

Outside of work, Kathy enjoyed hiking, walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain in 2023 and several National and Columbus Metro Parks. She was also an expert gardener, baker, thrifter, and euchre player. Above all else, she was the heart and anchor of her family — and her grandkids’ favorite person.

Kathy is preceded in death by her parents, Frederick and Mildred George, as well as sister Donna Garrett and brother Robert George. Left to cherish her memory are her beloved husband, Garry Brown; son Alex (Lauren) Nichols of Westerville; daughters Suzanne (Cande) Nichols of Gahanna and Danielle (Ben) Pedigo of Nashville; grandchildren Nora and Owen, Luca, and Kathleen “Kit”; step-children Tyler Brown and Amanda Brown; siblings Susan (Walter) White of Gahanna, Cindy (Bud) Smith of Virginia, Stephanie (Mike) Diaz of California, Kevin (Tammy) George of Georgia, Shari George of Columbus, and Kelly George of Columbus; as well as many loved nieces, nephews; and dear friends.

Arrangements entrusted to Schoedinger Northeast Funeral Home in Gahanna. A Memorial Service for Kathy will be held at Northwest United Methodist Church, 5200 Riverside Drive, Columbus, OH 43220 on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 2pm, with visitation with her family to follow until 4pm.

The family respectfully requests that memorial donations be made to Columbus Metro Parks in Kathy’s memory. More at metroparksfriends.org