Obituary of Eleanor R. Brown

Eleanor Ruth Russell Brown, age 89, passed away peacefully in her sleep during the early hours of Monday, July 6, 2020. She had returned home to Watkins Glen, NY from Seneca View Skilled Nursing Facility just seventy-two hours before and was able to spend her last days with her husband of 69 years, Dr. Frank Brown. She died of natural causes. Elly was born on August 5, 1930 in the town of New Woodstock, NY. While in high school her classroom teacher asked if anyone would like to learn to play the violin. Elly, then known as Ruthie, raised her hand. She went on to win a radio contest, and later a full scholarship to study music at Ithaca College. It was there that she met Frank Brown, a fellow music student. They married in 1951 in East Bloomfield, NY. They had four children over the next nine years; Linn, Darron, Joel, and Benjamin. Elly received a BA in Music and a Masters in Counseling. She was creative and loved to design, write, paint, and of course, play music. As a music educator she taught violin, chorus, and orchestra at schools in Odessa and Ithaca, NY, Marietta, GA, Carbondale, IL, Tallahassee and Sarasota, FL. As a professional musician she performed in many string ensembles and orchestras, both as first chair and soloist. She was a fearless individual who embraced the unconventional. Her lifelong love and talent for art was reflected in the homes the Browns lived in. She was never without an artistic or musical project and had endless energy for her creative pursuits. She is pre-deceased by her parents, Earl and Ethel (Shoen) Russell; her brothers, Malcolm and Mort Russell; her sisters, Elsie Saunders and Elva Stevens; and by her youngest son, Benjamin Brown. She is survived by her sister, Esther Riedl of Macedon, NY; her husband, Dr. Frank Brown of Watkins Glen, NY; her daughter, Linn Brown and husband, Dr. Richard Fredekind of Oakland, CA; her son, Dr. Darron Brown of Indianapolis, IN; her son Joel Brown and wife Peggy O'Neil Brown of Saratoga Springs, NY; her daughter-in-law, Claudia Bustamante of Tallahassee FL; her former daughter-in-law, Myrene Shove; eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Due to the pandemic, services are postponed until a time when the family can be together. To leave the family a message of condolence, or to light a "Candle of Remembrance", please visit www.vedderscottzinger.com