Mrs. Geraldine Brown Brinn, 89, wife of the late Ronald Lee Brinn and a resident of Parksley, passed away at her home Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. Born Oct. 11, 1931, in Tylerton, Md., she was the daughter of the late Carroll Benjamin Brown and the late Alma Franklin Bradshaw Brown.
Geraldine graduated from Parksley High School, class of 1948, and later from Beacon College. She worked as a secretary for both the U.S. Navy and for NASA before leaving the workforce to become a full-time homemaker. Throughout their marriage, Geraldine provided invaluable support for the three businesses owned by her and Ronald, the first of which was a shoe repair shop, followed by a furniture store, both in Parksley, and in later years, a check cashing business. Geraldine was a quiet, strong, and gentle woman who led the Christian life by example and few words. She loved gospel music and shared the word of God through singing with her family. Over the years, she was a member and Sunday School teacher at Calvary United Methodist Church, United Christian Church, and Faith Assembly of God, and most recently, a faithful member of Baptist Bible Church. Geraldine enjoyed sewing, particularly quilting, cross stitch, and embroidery, and she also enjoyed cooking, often baking something sweet and experimenting with new recipes. She liked working in her flower gardens and was especially pleased when she successfully rooted an old plant or shrub. For many years, Geraldine hosted picnics in her backyard gazebo, a place where family and friends gathered, and many cherished memories were made.
Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, Jennifer Brinn Henderson and her husband, Bruce, and Lucy East Huffman and her husband, Danny; brother, Sammuel Carroll Brown, and his wife, Linda, all of Parksley; grandchildren, Olivia Rebakkah Marcus and her husband, Joshua, of Wilmington, Del., and Eddie Ray Allison Jr., of Windsor, Va.; great-grandchildren, George Edward Smith IV, Bradleigh Lola Smith, Ethan Revell Allison, and Isaac Mason Allison; step-grandsons, William Huffman and his wife, Emma, and their two daughters, and Richard “Ricky” Huffman; and a number of nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her sister, Rachael Marie Brown Justis, and her husband, Carroll; and brothers, Lorie Colbourn Brown and his wife, Sue, and Teddy Berman Brown.
Funeral services will be conducted from the chapel of the Williams-Parksley Funeral Home on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, at 2 p.m., with the Rev. Mark Howard and the Rev. Robert Fletcher officiating. Interment will be held in the Liberty Cemetery.
Contributions in Geraldine’s memory may be made to the Baptist Bible Church Building Fund, 24577 Front St., Accomac, VA 23301.
Memory tributes may be shared with the family at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com
