Janice Brown

Janice Brown, 76, resident of Portsmouth, VA passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 15, 2017. She’s coming! When people saw her coming, most perked up, while others examined themselves and considered a quick detour. She loved deeply and was passionate about helping others. She unconditionally loved her seven children and was a woman of great unstoppable determination. She raised her children with a firm LEFT hand, a look that made you correct your actions without her saying a word and offered great wisdom and motivation. She showed her love by her actions. She always said “words are cheap, show me!” She would fly or drive all over the country to support her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Graduation in Texas, she is on her way; daughters graduating in Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey and she is on her way to each graduation without complaining. We couldn’t keep her still. It all started when she was a child. She was thrusted into a situation that developed an inward rage to be heard and believed. Throughout her life she made her mission to closely listen to what people said and didn’t say and realized that no one was to be trusted but the Lord. She was dealt more lemons than most. Her life story was one of great tragedies but also of great joyous victories. She took all the bitter lemons and converted them into fuel to move a train so powerful and fierce that only God could stop it. She was a woman who loved the Lord and believed that she would do her part to move her train which held all of her family in it up a steep mountain with dangerous slippery curves. Physically and mentally exhausted and with pure determination and faith, she asked for a job she was told was strictly reserved for men because of the heavy and dangerous equipment. Colonial Stores Bakery thought she would last a couple of days; she lasted more than a decade doing a man’s job because she told them she needed a man’s paycheck. Our mother was a beautiful woman and strong like a man. She worked all types of jobs to make ends meet while diligently disciplining us to keep us from straying into a life of corruption. She developed seven fine children who love the Lord, who are great at what they all do, who can cook better than most people who are chefs and who are great leaders and organizers. There are so many teachers who loved our mother when we were in school. They knew she was a no-nonsense mother and would arrive at the school faster than you could try to call for a cab to escape. The teachers said they wished all the parents were like our mother. She taught us to be respectful to our elders and if you had to say something, think wisely before you parted your lips. Our mother told us she loved us and that is why she couldn’t allow us to do things that would cause us problems later. Yes, she’d whip our behind. Thank God she didn’t spare the rod in my case. Our mother never abused us but she made sure we knew the consequences of our actions. She bought her home, made repairs, pulled up floors, put down floors, knocked down walls all by teaching herself from watching HGTV. She worked at the Colonial Coast Girl Scout headquarters and she spoke to thousands of woman and children and loved it and they loved her for more than 25 years. People waited just to talk to her. She encouraged and inspired everyone who even shyly looked her way. Motivator and great determination!!! Now, she can rest in Paradise. Born in New York, NY to the late Doris and Benjamin Brown. She was preceded in death by Benjamin Brown (Brother). Janice was married to John Greene in 1956 and from this union seven children (two sons, John, Troy (Jackie), five daughters, Dawn, Rosalie, Sonya, Felicia (Eric), Nina) were reared. Left to cherish her memory, one uncle, Leon, two aunts, Ruby and Diane, uncle in law, Freddie, two brother-in-law’s, Neil and John Hayes, 15 Grandchildren and 23 Great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends.

Janice Brown

August 3, 1941 - November 15, 2017