Obituaries

It is with profound sadness that the family of Dorothy Evelyn (Kinley) Brown announces her death on May 27, 2025 at the age of 95 at the VG Hospital, surrounded by her loving family.

Evelyn was predeceased by her infant son David, her son Quentin and her daughter Patricia, as well as her former husband, Kingsley Brown. She was the oldest child of Dr. Cecil and Beatrice Kinley and was predeceased by her parents, and siblings Dr. Edwin (Sarah) Kinley and Dr. Richard (Vera) Kinley. She is survived by her children: Kingsley (Cathy), Bob (Debbie), Heather, Nancy (Ron Falkenham) and her beloved grandchildren, Karen MacKenzie (Rob Long), Lindsay Brown (Graham Young), Lauren Brown (Will Macdonald), Megan MacKenzie, Jennifer (Stephen) Wall, David Brown (Romney), Jonathan Brown (Nicole) and Coady Brown (Abigail). She so enjoyed visits over the last sixteen years from her great grandchildren: Evelyn and Ezra Long, Max Sprague, Abigail and Weston MacKenzie , Kinley and Anderson Wall and little Henry Brown who loved to read his books with her and make her laugh. They were all known as “The Greats” to their beloved Nanny.

Mum was born and raised in Halifax, enjoying summers at the family cottage on Hermans Island. She attended Halifax Ladies College and graduated from Branksome Hall Girls School in Toronto in 1949. She married Kingsley in 1952 and together they raised their family in Halifax, Montreal, Hamilton and eventually in Monks Head, Nova Scotia. While in Hamilton, she and her friend Ruth Ralfe, on a dare, decided to begin pilot training and Evelyn obtained her private pilot’s license in 1967. Throughout their years in Hamilton, Evelyn and the kids would load into the Parisienne every summer and head back to Hermans Island where dad would join us on his holidays. Evelyn moved to Halifax in 1991 to be closer to her children and lived with her daughter Pat. Their home was the center of many family gatherings. Family was everything to Mum and she always had time to hear stories, read books and bake with the children, and she so loved how they could make her laugh. She sewed beautiful nightgowns for the granddaughters every Christmas and everyone could count on a homemade fruitcake, a bottle of cucumber relish and a bottle of Nan Jam in their Christmas basket.

Mum was an avid book lover and in her later years her reading played a large role in keeping her informed and entertained. She was a devoted Globe and Mail fan, reading the Saturday paper from cover to cover until just a few years ago when increasing dementia made understanding the news more difficult for her. Nevertheless, she continued to keep up to date on world news on tv and was always interested in hearing about new books that came into the house.

Evelyn will be laid to rest, alongside her daughter Patricia, at a later date, at which time a celebration of life will also be held.

Her family would like to thank the many caregivers who have so kindly cared for their mother in her later years: Dr. Peter Leighton, Nova Scotia Continuing Care, specifically the caring staff of Closing the Gap Home Care, the VON nurses who assisted the family in their care for Mum at home, and most recently the Palliative Care staff on 7A at the VG, who were so kind and compassionate to our Mum and so present to the family.

Anyone wishing to make a donation in Evelyn’s memory may do so to the QEII Health Sciences Centre Palliative Care Unit. To donate, click here or call 902-334-1546.