Jane Richart Brown, 88, passed away peacefully in her Fayetteville home, surrounded by the love of family, on Saturday, May 23, 2015. Jane Elanor was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Professor Walter Lee Brown, an infant daughter, Janet Lee Brown, and her parents, Louis Phillip Richart and Alberta Jane (Smith) Richart, of Roswell, New Mexico. She was the granddaughter of Lewis Smith and LeElla (Shay) Rawson, and the great-granddaughter of B. L. Shay and Samantha Jane (Drake) Shay. Jane attended Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Texas State College for Women, Denton, Texas, before working for The Office of Superintendent, Pampa School District, Texas. Jane married Walter Lee Brown, August 11, 1950, in Roswell, New Mexico, then lived and worked in Pampa and Austin, Texas, for two years prior to moving permanently to Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1954. Jane was a loving homemaker in Fayetteville and a faithful and active member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Jane actively pursued hobbies of gardening, photography and darkroom production, while raising, training, and showing several beloved collies. Jane steadfastly supported her husband Walter in his efforts with The Arkansas Historical Association, University of Arkansas, and Scottish Rite Masonry. As an avid sports fan and enthusiastic supporter of Razorback Athletics and The Razorback Foundation, Jane was a familiar site at local sporting events for over 50 years. She took particular pleasure in supporting the Basketball Hogs, and could be seen this past season still making her way across the court to her seats four rows behind the Hog's bench. Recently honored as a seventy-year member of Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO), Jane was first inducted into New Mexico Chapter B at the age of nineteen. She was a charter member, officer and President of the BH Chapter as well as holding officer positions in PEO at the state level. Through her dedicated actions in PEO, Jane influenced not only the lives of her PEO sisters, but also the many beneficiaries of PEO educational and scholarship efforts. Jane is survived by her two sons, Michael Morgan Brown (Sarah) of Shawnee, Kansas, and Phillip Richart Brown (Chris) of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and seven beloved grandchildren. There will be a memorial celebration of the life of Jane Richart Brown, Sunday, July 26, 2015, 3:00pm, at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, 224 N. East Avenue, Fayetteville, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in her memory to Freedom Collie Rescue, 4771 Sweetwater Blvd. #111, Sugar Land, TX 77479. Memorial 3:00 PM Sunday, July 26th, 2015
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Fayetteville, Arkansas