A celebration of life: remembering Karen Brown
Photo courtesy of Rhonda Graham
Karen Brown, executive secretary to the dean of the Helen De Vos College of Education, died in a traffic accident in Blountstown, Fla. while on vacation with her family on Friday, Sept.11. She was 57.
Brown was hired in December of 2011 by Vice President for Academic Affairs Debbie Murray, who was serving as dean of the college of education at that time.
Brown had previously worked at Life Care Centers of America [LCCA], and was personally recommended to Murray by LCCA president Beecher Hunter.
'I knew her well, was impressed with her and hired her; she was at the top of my list,' Murray said. 'She was just an amazing person, [and] very quickly became so important to us in the college of education.'
Brown worked as Murray's assistant until the summer of 2013, when Murray transitioned to her current position as the vice president for academic affairs. Brown then served as Bill Estes's secretary for the remainder of her time at Lee.
'When I moved to my [current office] and Dr. Estes assumed my position there he worked with her very closely, and she had the routines and the procedures down at that point and she helped him become the dean of the college of education, essentially,' Murray said. 'She trained him, and she did a great job because I think he's an amazing dean.'
Estes is grateful for the leadership and dedication to excellence Brown displayed throughout their work together.
'When Karen decided to stay in the college of [Education] I was so happy ' I was thrilled,' Estes said. 'She was a professional's professional. There are so many people behind the scenes that make Lee run and make Lee excellent ' Karen was one of those who would never be out in front, would never be on stage, but those of us at the college of education know what she meant to us. She made us all better.'
Murray said that Brown quickly became a vital member of the college of education, both as a colleague and a friend to many.
'I think one of the most impressive things about [Karen] was the way she won the confidence of [staff members] so quickly and became their mentor,' Murray said. 'She was a very nurturing and yet, professional figure. Not many people can do that; many people would feel threatened. But she came in with a quiet confidence and a great level of skill.'
Juniors Katie Carlson and Julie Ellis worked with Brown in the education department's administration office for three semesters. This was the start of their fourth semester working across the desk from Brown.
'She was the backbone of this entire department,' Carlson said. 'Everything she did was done with a smile and she has [left behind] a legacy of patience and kindness ' [and] every single person, whether they were a janitor, or a professor or a student, left her presence feeling, validated, and worthy and more important to the world than they did prior to meeting with her.'
Both Carlson and Ellis agree that Brown made a significant impact on their Lee experience and provided the safe, welcoming environment they so needed during their freshman year.
'She was kind of like our Cleveland grandmother,' Ellis said.
Carlson said that Brown's passing has deeply affected the close-knit faculty, staff and students of the education department.
'It's an odd feeling to sit [at work] and stare at her empty desk,' Carlson said. 'There's a general sense of heaviness in the office ' there's not one person who went unaffected.'
Ellis said that many in the department feel as though they have lost an honorary family member, and that faculty, students and staff have come together to comfort one another during this difficult time.
'[Coming to work] Monday was very difficult, because of course that was the first time our [department] was together as a family since the accident occurred Friday evening,' Ellis said. 'But [Monday] was beautiful in a sense because all of the secretaries and many of the professors would come and just sit in the office with us. And we talked through things and we lived through memories and we cried and we laughed and we did everything together.'
Carlson said she views Brown as a role model and is thankful to have worked with her for as long a she did.
'I think that more than anyone else [who] I've ever had the honor to work with she taught us how to be Christ,' Carlson said. 'I don't think we ever had an explicit conversation about Christ or the Bible' but [Christ] was evident in every single thing that she did, and I find myself wondering how I can be more like Miss Karen when interacting with people at school and at work, and how I can exude that [same] Christ-likeness.'
Ellis is grateful for the condolences expressed by President Paul Conn and Lee University as a whole.
' [We] want to say thank you to Dr. Conn and the rest of the university for supporting the college of education during this hard time,' Ellis said.
The education department and those who knew and loved Brown gathered together in the Chapel on Sunday, Sept. 20 to honor her memory. The Voices of Lee performed, and friends and family celebrated Brown's life by sharing stories with one another, followed by an informal reception with Brown's family.
Murray hopes that rather than mourn the loss of a colleague and friend, Lee students and faculty will focus on celebrating her life.
'The circumstances of her death were tragic, but we don't want to [dwell] on that; we want to think about her memories here and share stories together,' Murray said. 'Karen was a professional with a heart. Sometimes the people we work with in this type of institution have one or the other, but she had a beautiful blending of the two ' she cared about people. She cared about our faculty and she cared about our staff and our students. She was truly special."
