Susan Brown

Susan Warrell Brown March 14, 1942 – December 27, 2013 Susan W. Brown, 71, of Ojai, passed away on Friday, December 27. Susan was born March 14, 1942, in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, to Raymond and Katharine Warrell. She graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Oglethorpe University. She married Ramon “Ray” Brown in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1965. Susan worked as a biochemist for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta before taking a break from her career. In 1972, she and Ray moved to Thousand Oaks, California, where they raised two daughters and met many lifelong friends. After raising a family, Susan first worked as a legal secretary and then as an executive assistant. Susan was active in her faith community. She loved music, and sang with Ray in choirs at Catholic Churches, including St. Paschal Baylon in Thousand Oaks and St. Thomas Aquinas in Ojai. She was also an avid gardener – with roses admired by all – and lover of nature, enjoying hiking, bicycling, and touring the countryside. A lover of games, Susan kept a 48-year record of Scrabble scores (with frequent editorial footnotes). She loved her husband and children, and patiently put up with a constant flow of dogs, cats, and other assorted animals brought home for the family by Ray. Susan shared Ray’s sense of adventure and wanderlust, and they lived in some of the most beautiful places in the country, It seemed that whenever the economy needed a jolt, they would sell their house, move to a new area, and buy a new house, lawn tractor, spa, etc. But they stayed in love with Ojai, to which they ultimately returned. She is survived by her father, Raymond Warrell; her husband, Ray Brown; two daughters, Peggy Woolsey (Greg) and Kathy Brown; four grandchildren, Shannon, Alex, Danielle, and Ryan; her sister, Peggy Meredith; her brothers, Raymond Warrell Jr. (Loretta) and Stephen Warrell (Cheri); and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Catholic Charities USA. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, January 4, at 11:00 AM at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ojai, with a reception to follow at the church hall.