Kathleen J. Brown

April 9, 1935 - June 2, 2020

Kathleen J. Brown, age 85, of Clare, and formerly of Farwell, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at McLaren Central Michigan Hospital of Mt. Pleasant, MI. Kathleen was born one of four daughters to Howard and Dorothy (Betts) Klinger on April 9, 1935 in Detroit, MI. She was united in marriage to Ralph F. Brown on November 11, 1962 in Detroit, and the couple enjoyed just over forty-two years of marriage together until Ralph’s passing in 2005. She was a graduate of the Roseville High class of 1953. In the late 1960’s Kathleen and Ralph moved to the area following Ralph’s work as a builder looking to expand his trade. The couple settled on Surrey Lake and immediately fell in love with the area. In 1970, they bought the Surrey Motel, and Kathleen proudly owned and operated it for thirty years until she sold it in 2000 upon her retirement. When she wasn’t tending to her motel or home projects, Kathleen could usually be found cooking, baking, or attending mass and events at St. Cecilia Catholic Church where she was a faithful member. Kathleen is survived by her son Randy (Pam) Brown of Farwell, her step-daughter Sharon (Chuck) Shaw of Howell, and her grandchildren Zachary Brown of Clare and Chase Brown of Farwell. Other survivors of Kathleen include her siblings Phyllis (Jerry) Radford of Fresno, CA., Ellen (Art) Argano of Sterling Heights, MI., and Linda (Bill) Junga of Clinton Twp, MI, and several nieces and nephews. Kathleen was preceded in death by her husband Ralph Brown and her parents, Howard and Dorothy Klinger. A funeral service in honor of Kathleen will take place at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, June 6, 2020 at the Clare Chapel of the Stephenson-Wyman Funeral Home with Fr. Peter Nwokoye officiating. Friends may visit the family at the funeral home on Saturday from 11:00 A.M. till the time of service at 1:00 P.M. while adhering to current government guidelines regarding covid-19. Burial will follow immediately in the Cherry Grove Cemetery of Clare. Memorial contributions in honor of Kathleen may be directed to either the Our Lady of Hope Parish-St. Cecilia Site or to the Heartland Hospice. For those unable to attend, online condolences may be shared at www.stephenson-wyman.com