Mary Ann Brown

DURHAM-Mary Ann Brown, 83, died peacefully in her home Friday morning, March 20.

She was born August 10, 1936 to the late John M. and Pauline Jones Brown of Wrigley, Tennessee. Her two older sisters, Sarah Brown Dimiceli of Wisconsin and Betty Brown Moon of Alabama, predeceased her, as did her nieces Gina Dimiceli and Karen Moon Harbour, and nephew Brian Moon. Her niece Lisa Dimiceli Nohl of Wisconsin survives, as do 8 grandnephews/nieces and 4 great grandnephews/nieces. She is also survived by her partner of fifty years, Judy.

Mary Ann attended grade and high school in Hickman County in middle Tennessee. She graduated from George Peabody College in Nashville, now a part of Vanderbilt University, and then received a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Peabody as well.

After receiving her graduate degree, her first professional job was in the Woodruff Health Sciences Library at Emory University in Atlanta. In 1965, she joined the staff of the Duke Medical Center Library where she held several different positions over the next thirty-nine years, mostly in reference work but also serving as Associate Director, 1984-1991, and then as Collection Development Librarian until her retirement in 2004.

Mary Ann developed and taught medical librarianship classes in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s graduate School of Information and Library Science. She also designed and taught continuing education sessions for the Medical Library Association’s professional development programs.

In retirement, she volunteered at the Durham County Library with its North Carolina Collection. She also devoted even more time to her longtime hobbies of genealogy, philately, classical music, cats, and ACC sports – especially Duke basketball!

Mary Ann was a generous supporter of many charitable organizations. In lieu of flowers, she would be especially pleased with donations in her memory to WCPE: The Classical Station, Box 828, Wake Forest NC 27588, www.theclassicalstation.org, the Duke University Chapel, Box 90974, Durham NC 27708-0974, www.gifts.duke.edu/chapel, or to a favorite charity of your own.