Virginia Brown

Virginia Sue Grogan Brown, of Brevard, 70, took her final journey home to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 5, 2014 at The Oaks of Brevard after an extended period of illness. A native of Transylvania County, she was the daughter of the late Charles Mitchell “Bunt” Grogan and Alice Center Grogan of Brevard. She was a 1963 Graduate of Brevard High School, where she was affectionately nicknamed “Dead Eye Grogan” for shooting the Senior English teacher between the eyes with a spit wad upon a dare from a classmates. She was known by fellow classmates as kindhearted, fun, and gentle to all. Upon graduation, she married Hubert Brown of Brevard, and became a US Army wife and mother of three children. She lived in Nuremburg, Germany and Fort Riley, Kansas before moving back to Brevard in 1967. Upon returning to her hometown, she worked as a sewing machine operator at Ruth’s Originals and then moved on to Ecusta Paper Mill where she worked in Endless Belt and Quality Control for 25 years. She took an early retirement in 1995 due to illness. Virginia was raised in the Brevard Church of God where strong Christian values were instilled in her by her mother Alice. It was these values that she passed on to her own children. She enjoyed taking the family to Table Rock, Camp Straus, and Myrtle Beach. She couldn’t swim, but loved the ocean. She loved country music and would turn it up loud on Saturday mornings while she cleaned or worked outside. She loved to read a good novel, had a major green thumb and could grow anything in a garden, and watching Days of Our Lives with her sisters. She also loved to fish and to camp, although she wasn’t able to go much. She wasn’t afraid to tackle a challenge. She could lay cross tie steps, put up a brick wall, or lay flooring. She was fiercely independent and taught her children to be as well. She instilled the values of love, trust, honesty, and respect in her family, as well as a strong faith in God. At the time of her death, she was a member of Grace Baptist Church in Brevard. Virginia’s greatest accomplishment in life was, in her eyes, her children. She sometimes worked two and three overtime shifts per week at Ecusta in order to give her kids what she believed they deserved. Her children and her grandchildren were her greatest challenge in life, but ultimately her greatest love. She is survived by her three children: Hubert Clifton “Cliff” Brown, Jr. of Brevard and wife, Jennifer Boenau Brown, Tina Brown McQuay and husband Rob McQuay of Evans, GA, and Tricia Brown Ashe and husband Jamie Ashe, residing overseas; her seven grandchildren: Hailey Elizabeth McQuay, Cheyanne Hope Brown, Michaela Sue Ashe, Brandis Nicole Ashe, Ethan James Ashe, Seth Patrick Brown and Caroline Grace Ashe; three sisters: Wanda Grogan Owen and husband Grady of Pisgah Forest, Joyce Grogan Justus and husband Bill of Newton, NC, and Frances Grogan Woodring and husband Robert of Brevard; and well as several nieces and nephews, all of who she loved dearly. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one sister, Shelby Jean Grogan Raines of Brevard and a brother, Charles William Grogan of Hendersonville. At Virginia’s request, a private graveside service for the family will be held on at Blue Ridge Gardens of Memory. No visitation will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to: American Lung Association National Headquarters, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 800. Washington, DC 20004 or by visiting http://www.lung.org . Online condolences may be left at www.moodyconnollyfuneralhome.com. Moody-Connolly Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.