1928-2024
Patricia “Pat” Edwina Rhine Brown, age 96, died April 30, 2024. She was born February 7th, 1928, to T.E. Rhine M.D. and Nannietta Raines Rhine, the youngest of three girls. She grew up during the Great Depression and World War II in Thornton, Arkansas, a small, former sawmill town on the Cotton Belt Railway.
She was preceded in death by her husband Edward Ezell Brown, 1987, her daughter Ann Brown Turner, 2005, her parents T.E. Rhine and Nannietta Raines Rhine, her parents-in-law Edward and Annie B. Brown, and her sisters Virginia Elizabeth Rhine Stein and Susan Ethel Rhine Stark.
Survivors include her four children, Thomas Edward Brown (Susan), Richard DuPree Brown (Laura), David Rhine Brown (Belinda), and Virginia Marks Brown Breshears (Hunter); her 15 grandchildren, Allison Brown Turner Kimes (Nick), John Rhine Brown (Jessica), Alexandra Talbot Brown, Edward Rhine Turner, Andrew Mize Turner, Justin DuPree Brown (Shelby), Diana Taylor Brown, Patrick Edward Brown, Mary Raines Scriber, Lauren Grace Brown, Thomas Edward Brown Jr. (Maddy), Taylor Ladd Scriber, Nicholas David Brown, Hastings Marks Scriber, and Patricia Brooks Scriber; and 7 great-grandchildren, Grace Ann, Emma Catherine and Madelyn Hembree Kimes, Walter Rhine and John Marks Brown, and Weston Edward Lee Brown and Lillie Kate Brown; her beloved cousin, Susan Condray Norton (Mac), children, Kathyrn Jane and Andrew Rhine Norton (Destin) and child Abigale; and nieces and nephew, Amy Stark Anderson (Rob), Mary Stark Cardenas (Ed), John M. Stark (Anne), Nita Stark Maynard (Neale) and their children and grandchildren.
She graduated from Thornton High School in 1945 just after the death of President Franklin Roosevelt and just before V.E. Day in Europe during World War II. She then graduated from Ward Belmont School in Nashville in 1947 and from the University of Arkansas in 1949. She was a member of Chi Omega fraternity where she made many lifelong friends. She majored in History, with minors in French and Music.
Patricia Rhine met her husband Edward Ezell Brown on a blind date in 1950, and on the next date he declared that he wanted to marry her. They married in October 1951 and began a long life in Pine Bluff, Arkansas with children, baseball, and civic affairs filling her days.
She was Chairman of the Board for 20 years at Arkansas Mill Supply Company and was a board member until her death. She collected and edited over 125 oral history accounts concerning her, father Dr. T.E. Rhine, and his practice of medicine, which were published in 1985. She was a founder of the Southeast Arkansas Mental Health Center in 1964, and served on the board for 51 years, twice as President. She was also appointed to two terms on the Governor’s Advisory Committee for Mental Health.
Mrs. Brown was the founding president of the Little Firehouse Community Art Center, Volunteers in Public Schools, and the Marks-Barnett Family Association for which she edited the quarterly newsletter for over 30 years. She served as the President of the League of Women Voters of Pine Bluff and as vice president of the Arkansas League of Women Voters. She was a member of the Junior Auxiliary of Pine Bluff and was the chairman of the first Charity Ball and was selected Charity Ball Queen in 1963.
She served on the founding boards of the Youth Home of Pine Bluff, Leadership Pine Bluff, and Synergy Forum, Inc. She was also on the Jefferson County Housing and Medical Committees for a number of years, making low interest bonds available to doctors and young people for housing.
Mrs. Brown was vice-chair of the Jefferson County Democratic Central Committee for 20 years. In the mid-70s, she grew and tested new roses for Jackson-Perkins. She was also a member of the New York Times Crossword Puzzle Society, the Mathontes Club, and the Hawthorne Book Club. During the 1957 desegregation crisis at Central High School in Little Rock, AR, she served on the Women’s Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools.
She received the Lester Silbernagel Award for volunteer service to the Pine Bluff Public School System. She was elected to the Leadership Hall of Fame of Pine Bluff in 1988. She was an Honorary Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International. She received the Ella Hunn Payne Award (Junior League of PB). In the mid 1950’s, she was one of two women to be selected on the first Jury Panel not made up of all men.
Mrs. Brown was married to Ed Brown “Mr. Baseball” who coached the Jaycee Little League Baseball team for 36 years. She attended little league games for over 50 years as well as Babe Ruth, American Legion and Girls Fast Pitch Softball, supporting her children and grandchildren.
She, along with Alan Goldman, organized the Happy Kookers, an eclectic group of friends who loved to cook, eat, and drink good wine, as well as donate fundraising parties for many worthwhile charities.
She was a long-time member of First Presbyterian Church where she taught Sunday School to both children and young adults. She was co-chair with John Lile of the committee to raise the money to construct the church sanctuary.
She loved her family, people, German shepherd dogs, church music, books, history, puzzles, bullfights, travel, and a good fire in the fireplace.
She lived a long, energetic, enthusiastic, and busy life, but was always there when her children came home from school. She dearly loved and enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren. She will be deeply missed by all who loved her.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Friday, May 3, 2024 at First Presbyterian Church of Pine Bluff with Reverend Dr. Susan Matthews Arnold officiating by Ralph Robinson and Son Funeral Directors. A reception will follow the service in McColgan Hall at First Presbyterian Church. Burial will be private.
In Lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Jefferson County Habitat for Humanity, 211 West 3rd Avenue #205, Pine Bluff, AR 71601; Dallas County Museum, PO Box 703, Fordyce, AR 71742; and Marks Cemetery and Marks Mill Battle Site Park, c/o Arkansas Community Foundation, 5 Allied Drive, Suite 51110 Building 5, 11th Floor, Little Rock, AR 72202.
