Marie Cecilia Brown

Marie Cecilia Boedewig Brown, 91, passed away peacefully at home with her family on Saturday, December 3, 2022. She was born June 21, 1931, in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, daughter of the late Frederick Henry Boedewig and Marie Virginia Kurzeknabe Boedewig. She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Allan Edwin Brown; son-in-law, Warren Michael Parmer; brother, Fredrick Lewis Boedewig; and sister, Jane Elizabeth Dolan.

Marie was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Here she married the love of her life Allan (Al) Brown. Together they raised their twin daughters and son in Whitman’s Square, New Jersey, and then in Greenville, Virginia. In 1995, Marie and Al retired to Hilton Head, South Carolina, frequently hosting family gatherings. In 2018, she moved back to Virginia to live with her daughter, Janet. Most recently she resided in Williamsburg, Virginia, with her twin daughters and son-in-law. Raising her children and spending time with beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the greatest joys in her life.

Marie was a lifelong seamstress, making her twin daughters’ clothes and son’s suites and later joining her daughters’ drapery business, Twin Interiors. Marie enjoyed home improvement and could often be found with a paintbrush in hand, listening to Frank Sinatra. She was a fun, interactive Granny and Great-Grandmother, always playing with the children and teaching them songs and games. Throughout her life, Marie had a strong faith in the Lord.

Marie is survived by her twin daughters, Jane Marie McGehee (John) and Janet Rena Parmer, both of Williamsburg; son, Allan Edwin Brown, Jr. (Donna) of Bluffton, South Carolina; grandchildren, Lauren McGehee Efird (Charles) of Williamsburg and Andrew John McGehee (Rebekah) of Charlottesville, Virginia; great-grandchildren Alexander Charles Efird, Gabriel Andrew McGehee, Stella Marie Efird, and Jacob Crosby McGehee; a sister-in-law, Patricia Boedewig Martin; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 500 S. Wayne Ave., Waynesboro, VA 22980.

Nelsen Funeral Home in Williamsburg is handling arrangements.