Nancy (Nan) Elmslie Brown passed away peacefully at Brooks-Howell Home on November 5, 2021. She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Brown, by her sister, Alice Schaller, and her brother, James Elmslie. She is survived by her son, David Brown and wife Leea, her daughter Sarah Brown Sullivan and husband Tom, and her son Nathan Brown. Her granddaughters are Sarah Brown and Alice Brown. Nan was born Nancy Olive Elmslie on July 24, 1929 and raised in Quincy, Illinois. She graduated from Grinnell College, Iowa. A librarian by profession, she and her husband, Ken, met at library school at Columbia University, NYC. From childhood, Nan often read two books each day and she seldom went anywhere without a paperback at hand. She was an active member of one of the longest running book groups in Asheville and, at 92, was its youngest member. Her reading tastes varied widely, though her children do not recall her ever reading a single romance novel. Her slightly guilty pleasure was mysteries. Nan had a dry, sometimes sardonic, wit but a kind nature. She belonged to many environmental and charitable organizations to which she contributed often and generously. She loved to travel and her children recall that she, uncharacteristically, burst into tears when she heard she was invited on a trip to China with friends from college. She took up alpine skiing long after her children had learned to ski and later reflected that she would have started much earlier had she known how much she’d enjoy the sport. She skied into her late 70s. She also loved tap dancing and was a member of Rosen’s Rascals tap group, which performed regularly at various long-term care facilities. Nan was a wonderful mother and grandmother and a valued friend. She will be both fondly and terribly missed. Her family thanks the staff and her fellow residents at Brooks-Howell Home for their steadfast care and kindness. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory at https://www.everylibrary.org/ A memorial service will be held in the spring.
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