Brown
from page At
Wake Forest University,
delivered the eulogy, and
The Rev. Dr. Darryl Aaron,
Pastor of First Baptist
Church, welcomed the
guests and read the
Scripture. Those who
spoke on behalf of the
community included
Mayor Allen Joines; The
Honorable Denise
Hartsfield, Forsyth County
district court judge; Shirley
Atkinson, graduate faculty
member at UNC
Greensboro; Viola Sharpe
of the Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority Inc.; Dr. Donald
Martin, professor at High
Point University; Jaeson
Pitt, a former student who
is an instructor at Quality
Education Academy; Dr.
Kenneth Simington, CAO,
Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County Schools; and
Brown's daughter. Dr.
Wynne Brown, a physician.
Dr. Geneva Anita bland
Brown, 84, innovative
teacher, principal, adminis
trator, and former member
of the Board of Education
for the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County
Schools, passed away
peacefully at her home on
Thursday, March 26.
Having lived in Winston
Salem for 63 years. Brown
had worked in the school
system since 1954 until she
retired in 1992. She was
married to Wendell
Delworth Brown for 44
years.
She studied at UCLA
with Dr. Madeline Hunter
for six years before open
ing Moore Laboratory
School, the first magnet
school in Winston Salem.
Moore School, opened in
1971, was the school sys
tem's first open concept,
non-graded, multi-age
grouping, year-round
school. Brown invited Dr.
Hunter to Moore School
for a week to conduct
workshops with the teach
ers on the seven-point les
son plan and to observe in
classrooms. Brown retired
from Moore after 19 years.
from central office after
serving two years, and
completed over 18 years of
service on the school
board. Don Martin dis
cussed The Geneva B.
Brown Education Fund that
was established to provide
training in resilience for
teachers in the WSFC
Schools. Teachers can
apply at
Gbbrownforteachers.com. '
Brown was a member '
of First Baptist Church, c
Highland Avenue, a Bible c
study teacher, trustee, dea
coness and a member of the
Women's Service Council, i
She was also a member of 1
the Alpha Kappa Alpha n
Sorority Inc. and was direc- \
tor of the AKA Annual I
Golf Tournament for 10 j
years. Brown's daughter, '
Dr. Wynne R. E. Brown, \
thanked the guests on c
behalf of her partner
Kathleen Ann Werner of
Clemmons; two grandsons,
Jerry Cooper II of Winston
Salem and Wendell Tyler
Cooper of New York City;
and other family members.
"I want to thank all ot
you for being here. I grew
up as an only child, and
you are my extended fami
ly. The people 1 asked to
speak, I invited you
because 1 have wondered
what my mother has been
up to all of these years,"
Wynne Brown said. "You
are part of my family. We
are grieving and celebrat
ing at the same time. My
mother was courageous.
When she and her friend
Ms. Lash who is 90 went to
get their driver's licenses
renewed, I was scared. . .
My mother is still active.
Don't be surprised if she
does show up for you. She
taught me, 'Here is the
world. Go for it!"'
The Rev. Dr. Bill J.
Leonard preached a eulogy
called "Geneva Brown: A
Saintly Character." He took
his text from Matthew
Chapter 25:35-40. Leonard
described Brown as a
"saintly character."
"She taught and men
tored character into the rest
of us. Her character was
nformed by the depth of
ler faith, centered in merit
ind miracle. Her saintliness
vas a great equalizer," said
^eonard. Mayor Joines
)raised Geneva Brown as a
'passionate individual. She
vas passionate about chil
iren and about golf. She
i
would call me regularly for
help and sponsorship with
golf tournaments. She saw
that as a great way to give
back to the community. She
gave me advice over the
years, and I saw her as a
mentor."
Judge Hartsfield hon
ored Brown as a special
lady in her world.
"Long before the pro
gram 'Black Girls Rock,'
Geneva Brown rocked. I
am sure that because Maya
Angelou wrote her poem
'Phenomenal Woman,' she
must have known Geneva
Brown."
Shirley Atkinson
remembers when Brown
invited Madeline Hunter to
Moore Laboratory School.
She asked all of the educa
tors and former educators
of Moore School to stand.
More than 50 were in the
audience.
"She had high expecta
tions for all children. She
ran a tight ship. She wanted
us to be on time, and we
had better have that objec
tive on the board. ... She
was very direct," Atkinson
said. "She used the putting
green as an incentive for
kids. What a legacy she has
left us. What a passion for
children.
Let's keep making
things happen for kids."
Viola Sharpe read a
poem called "The Dash,"
which highlighted what
Brown did with the line
between her years of birth
and death. She also hon
ored Brown as an instruc
tional leader. "She knew
how to get the best out of
you.
She would say, 'If you
can't do it, get off the ship.'
She made me feel like I can
go anywhere to teach. She
was an instructional leader.
She made us do some deep
thinking, metacognition. ...
She was an awesome
administrator!" Sharpe
said.
i
>r. Wynne Brown, daughter of the late Geneva
Irown, gives thanks to all who loved her mother,
ind in turn, loved her, at the close of the celebration
f life ceremony on Saturday, April 25, at the Simon
j. Atkins Academic & Technology High School.
| ^et\pla^ in the-APteet^! |
VilA ?-K& R@U
| Winston-Salem I
dn celebration of,
Rational &ihe<TJJont/i
Sunday, May 3
1:00-4:00 PM
FREE registration at 3rd Street
and Research Parkway
Downtown Winston-Salem
? Walk, roll, skate & cycle on Research Parkway
without traffic
? Ride bike rodeo, get helmet fitted, decorate
your bike
? For young ones, ride in the Trike & Training
Wheel Parade at 2:00 PM
? Watch drummers, dancers, unicyclists, stilt
walkers & pogo hoppers
? Participate in family-friendly activities & exhibits
? Refresh at food trucks and parklet
? Explore Wake Forest Innovation Quarter
| WWW.CITYOFWS.ORG/BIKEMONTH |
Your passion today.
Your profession tomorrow.
Training talented students, from high school to graduate school, in the
performing, visual and moving image arts to be professional artists.
Presenting more than 300 public performances and screenings annually.
| WSAP
I
Photography by Peter Mueller and Drew Davis
admissions@uncsa.edu
336-770-3290
www.uncsa.edu
boxof f ice@u ncsa.edu
336-721-1945
www.uncsaevents.com
University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, N.C.