Noreen Brown

Noreen Delia Cavanaugh Brown March 2, 1938 - September 26, 2015 On the morning of September 26, 2015, Noreen Brown passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in George West, Texas. She was 77 years old. Noreen was born in Oakland, California on March 2, 1938. She was the 2nd child of John and Nora Cavanaugh, immigrants from Ireland. Her father, John Joseph Cavanaugh, was born in County Kerry, Dingle Bay. Her mother Honor "Nora" McGrath Cavanaugh was born in Taum Galway Ireland. Noreen grew up in Oakland, California. She attended an all-girl catholic school her entire education at Sacred Heart Grammar School, Holy Names High School and she graduated from Holy Names College in 1960 with a degree in elementary education. Her first job was teaching 1st grade in West Oakland in the fall of 1960. She taught there for 2 years before moving and teaching in San Jose, California. It was in California that Noreen met Ross Brown while he was working for Lockheed Martin and serving in the U.S. Air Force. They married on September 3, 1966 in Oakland, California and moved to George West, Texas where they lovingly raised their nephew Mark, their son Stephen and their daughters Amy and Melissa. Noreen was a fixture in George West where she was usually behind the wheel of her big brown suburban with a car full of kids driving all around South Texas to baseball games, track meets or taking a car load to the movies in Three Rivers and Beeville. She was also a fixture at St. George Catholic Church where she taught and was a director of Religious Education from 1966 to 1987. After her children graduated from high school, Noreen returned to the profession she loved and felt passionately about - education. She started teaching again at St. Joseph's Catholic School in Beeville in 1987. She then moved to Our Lady of Victory Catholic School in 1990 and then onto St. Mary's Academy in 1994. In 2000, as St. Mary's (a catholic school) was struggling financially to keep their doors open, Noreen and a few of her colleagues decided to apply for a Texas State Charter to allow them to keep their beautiful school open to children. They were awarded a charter and became St. Mary's Academy Charter School in 2001. Noreen remained there for the last 15 years. SMACS - as she would refer to it - was her proudest professional accomplishment and was her home away from home and second family. The school received many awards and accreditations during her tenure including a National Recognition as a Blue Ribbon School in Washington D.C. in 2009. Noreen will be remembered by her family and friends for her devotion to and love of her family, and her dedication to her church and the development of young children. Noreen is survived by her husband, Ross; son Stephen Brown and his wife Katie and their children Ross, Henry and John; daughter Amy Brown Pope and her husband Billy Pope and their son William; daughter Melissa Brown Lim and her husband Jeff Lim and their children Ryan and Carter; nephew Mark Brown and his wife Debbie and their children Laura, James, Ashley, Kristen and Anne Marie; her brothers Martin and Jimmy Cavanaugh. Noreen also has 9 nieces and nephews and 17 great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother Jake Cavanaugh. Visitation will be Thursday, October 1 from 3 - 6 pm at Galloway Funeral Home in Beeville (409 North Tyler). A Rosary Mass will be held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Beeville on Thursday from 7:30 - 8:30 pm. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 2 pm on Friday, October 2 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church with a reception that will follow in the parish hall. Interment will follow at the George West Cemetery at 5:30 pm. Pallbearers will be Stephen Brown, Ross Brown, Mark Brown, Billy Pope, Jeff Lim, Ryan Lim and Jimmy Cavanaugh. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please make a donation to her school in her memory - St. Mary's Academy Charter School - 410 North Tyler Street, Beeville, Texas 78102.