Friends, loved ones remember trailblazing resident
Town ‘moral leader’ Nancy Brown dies at 88
GREENWICH — Called “a huge healer and a supporter of the people of Greenwich,” Nancy Brown was remembered as a history-making icon in town government who was committed to providing for those less fortunate by those who knew and loved her.
Brown died on March 11 at Bridgeport Hospital from complications of lymphoma. She was 88.
A town resident for 65 years, Brown served as the town’s director of community development from 1978 until 2007 — the first Black woman to head a town department in Greenwich’s history.
“She had this way about her that was very confident and self-assured,” Myra Klockenbrink, Brown’s daughter-in-law, said Friday. “But at the same time, she was
very self-effacing. She won so much recognition and accomplished so much — but she never wore it.
“She had this sort of Southern manner that was so gracious, and she demurred from a lot of the limelight and attention that was afforded her. When she was recognized she was always gracious. She had a lovely way about her.”
Brown, who was residing in assisted living until shortly before her death, never lost what made her special — not even when she was hospitalized, Klockenbrink said.
The staff at both “tripped over each other to attend to her because she was just so lovely,” Klockenbrink said. “Everyone who came in contact with her, I think, was elevated just by her presence.”
U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, remembered Brown fondly on Friday. Himes knew Brown from his role as chair of Greenwich’s Democratic Town Committee and through his time on the Board of Estimate and Taxation and as chair of the housing authority’s board of commissioners.
“She was so important to the town,” Himes said. He recalled
her work to administer the community development block grants, which provides vital support to nonprofit services around town. “She was always associated with that effort, and so many philanthropic efforts and the town’s social services. She was a huge healer and a supporter of people of Greenwich.”
After leaving the role of the town’s director of community development in 2007, Brown became more active in town politics, he said. But she didn’t want to be seen as a partisan politician.
“She was a wonderful person,” Himes said. “She was one of those rare people who never had a bad thing to say about anyone. She was always so thrilled to volunteer and be a part of things in town.”
First Selectman Fred Camillo offered his condolences to her friends and family.
“Nancy was always a positive presence around town,” Camillo said. “I did see her for many years and I never remember seeing her without a smile on her face. That’s a pretty good legacy to leave. She was always smiling, always nice and always upbeat.”
Brown’s civic and social commitments covered much ground. She was a member of Family Centers Inc.’s board and served on Greenwich’s Representative
Town Meeting. She also helped found the Urban League of Southwestern Fairfield County in 1969.
In 1976, she became the director of the First Woman’s Bank and Trust, which her family described as a pioneering bank for women that granted loans regardless of gender or marital status. It also educated women about building credit and taking out loans.
Her passion for helping people stood out to former Selectman Drew Marzullo, who was in regular contact with Brown until the pandemic hit last year.
“I can honestly say Nancy Brown was one of the most influential people I have ever met,” Marzullo said. “Kind, formidable, funny and always available to offer advice when needed. I loved and adored her on every level. To say she will be missed would be an understatement.”
Brown’s family recalled that she actively campaigned for presidential candidates Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, whose election in 2008 was of great personal significance to her.
“I remember her telling me how proud she was to vote for then-Sen. Barack Obama,” Marzullo said. “And thought the day he was elected would never come. But it did. And how happy she was.”
All of Brown’s work in the community, particularly in helping girls and women, earned her a YWCA Greenwich Spirit of Greenwich award in 2014. YWCA President and CEO Mary Lee Kiernan, who knew Brown well, expounded on Brown’s impact on Greenwich and said she was “one of my she-roes.”
“Nancy was truly a brilliant and thoughtful and moral leader for this community and for the region,” Kiernan said. “She had an incredible work ethic. She was always a lens on gender and race equity in her work. She was incredibly productive and constructive in her role as the community development block grant administrator and in her many roles as a volunteer with the Fairfield County Community Foundation and other organizations.”
She also did volunteer and advocacy work for the Women and Girl’s Advisory Council. Among her honors, Brown was named Woman of the Year by the Greenwich Women Civic Club in 1987 and received the State Office of the Treasurer Contributions to the Community Award in 2005, the Greenwich Bar Association Liberty Bell Award and the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Brown’s life and legacy were celebrated this week at a Greenwich DTC meeting by BET member Jeff Ramer.
Town resident Howard Richman, who worked with Brown on Democratic campaigns, including his own, recalled her as a friend he had known for decades.
“She was always somebody who put herself after everything she did for the community,” Richman said. “She got involved in so many different ways, and she made the town a better place through everything she did for the community.”
Brown left a “powerful legacy,” Former Republican First Selectman Peter Tesei said. He remembered her work in community development — she “meticulously administered the program” with a detailed knowledge of all the organizations seeking assistance — and noted her leadership in chairing the housing task force for the 2009 town’s Plan of Conservation and Development.
“Nancy was a very elegant woman,” Tesei said. “She was very committed to providing for those less fortunate living in Greenwich. … I found her to be a true joy to work with and someone who made a difference in the lives of people in town who needed that advocacy.”