IMOGENE DeLEE BROWNING

Imogene DeLee Browning, our beloved mother, died April 2, 2001, in Bellevue, Wash.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 14, at Glendale Golf and Country Club in Bellevue, Wash. A private graveside service will be held at Sunset Hills Memorial Park prior to the memorial service.

Mrs. Browning was born in Attica, Kan., to Grace Gordon Garrison and John Merriman Garrison on Feb. 26, 1921. She was the youngest child in a family of five — John, Richard, Miriam, Douglas and Imogene.

Her family wrote: "Mom described her childhood home as a two-story house on the edge of a small town in Attica. It was in this loving home and small midwestern town where her mother, Grace, taught her the importance of self-worth, integrity and acceptance of all people. These values created a woman rich in spirit, expressive in opinions and generous in love."

Mrs. Browning graduated salutorian in her high school class, and continued her pursuit of higher education at Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia, Kan.

"Mom was musically gifted," her family wrote. "She played several instruments and had a beautiful voice. It was this musical gift that brought her to the Broadview Hotel in Wichita on Dec. 31, 1939, where she met our dad, Bill Browning. She was the girl singer and he played trumpet in the band. It was love at first sight. They were married a year later on Jan. 6, 1941.

"Her strong love for music was passed on to her daughters and she was rewarded at birthday and anniversary celebrations through family musical productions.

"Some of her favorite songs were ‘Embraceable You,' ‘Melancholy Baby,' ‘He's Just My Bill,' ‘I'll Be Seeing You,' ‘Someone to Watch Over Me,' and ‘It Had To Be You.' She loved the music of Tony Bennett, especially when he sang ‘How Do You Keep the Music Playing,' and she managed to keep the music playing in the heart and spirit of everyone who knew her.

"She was a pioneer for the developmentally disabled in Wichita, Kan., and one of the founders of the association for mentally disabled children in Wichita. She faced tough challenges and convinced the state of Kansas that people with developmental disabilities needed a voice. She became a community activist and convinced leaders that prejudice and injustice had no place in a world filled with people whose needs included special love, attention and personal freedom.

"Mother's social convictions were best described as believing the biblical teaching, ‘I am my brother's keeper.' She believed in paying your own way according to your ability. She did not believe in trying to impose her social and theological beliefs on others. Most of all, she believed that tolerance, patience and love can maintain the family bond and that such a family is the best foundation for building a tolerant and democratic society.

"When the family moved to the Pacific Northwest, Jeanne took her golf game to a competitive level, winning championships in Bellevue while establishing cherished friendships along the way.

"Her spirit directed her into the field of real estate, where she excelled in a professional career that brought her personal satisfaction and many rewards.

"Her elegance and charm followed her everywhere. She was always herself, true to her beliefs and had a spirit of adventure and quick wit.

"She treasured her years with her husband, Bill, and growing old together with the memories and family intact, still loving and needing each other. It has been a good life."

Mrs. Browning was preceded in death by her loving husband, Bill, in 1995 (54 years together). Her survivors include her sister, Miriam Constance Hunt of Lafayette, Calif.; her five daughters, Sharron Gail Browning of Valley Center, Kan., Marcia and Glenn Harrington of Seattle, Linda and Paul Fadon of Issaquah, Wash., Mimi and Tony Pippel of Palmer, and Lisa Porter of Enumclaw, Wash.; seven grandchildren, Jackie Koch, David and Marla Andrus, Rob and Bill Pippel, Grace, Julie and Elizabeth Porter; two step-grandchildren, Jean Paul and Huyi Fadon and Lori and Dave Johnson; two great-grandchildren, Alex Koch and Kayla Andrus; and three step great-grandchildren, Kyle Nina and Niko.

Remembrances may go to the American Foundation for the Blind and the Association for Developmental Disabilities.

Arrangements were made by Green Funeral Home in Bellevue, Wash.