Dorothy Helen Sylva Brown

Dorothy Helen Sylva Brown

Long-time California science and math teacher and community advocate, Dorothy Helen Sylva Brown was born on October 14, 1930, in Modesto, California, into a family descended from immigrants from the Azores and Eastern North America arriving in California during the early to middle nineteenth century. Dorothy grew up in the Central Valley community of Modesto, also frequenting extended family ranches in Columbia and Sonora. As a youth, she enjoyed dancing ballet, tap and ice skating, as well as riding her horse, Lulubelle, and practicing archery. As did many young people, she worked in the fruit and almond orchards. In 1948, she graduated from Modesto High School and from Modesto Junior College two years later. In 1952, Dorothy graduated from the University of California at Davis with a BS in Animal Science, and joined Robert Laben's UCD Animal Genetics lab to process dairy records and calculate inbreeding coefficients.

In 1953, Dorothy married Donald Brown and by 1955 they began their family which grew to four children. Over the years, she worked as livestock clerk for the Sacramento State and County Fairs, taught religious education at the Unitarian Church, was active in the civil rights movement, then earned a secondary teaching credential through Sacramento State College. From 1966 and for over 25 years, Dorothy taught junior high school science at Arcade Junior High, then science and math and additional electives at continuation high schools for the San Juan Unified School District, first at El Escalon, then at La Entrada. Her goal was to keep students motivated by personalizing their instruction with engaging content modules that she created herself. A family tradition for Dorothy and Don was taking their family to California's state parks several times each year, motivating three of the children to pursue occupations in management and protection of public lands. Their legacy in the classroom inspired three of the children to teach as well. With her husband Don, Dorothy traveled to Hawaii, Alaska, Kenya, Virgin Islands and most of the US states.

Dorothy was always one to face a challenge. Because she had an aversion to rats, she brought a domestic one home for a pet so she could get used to it. Since that was so fun, she brought home an owl for a few weeks as well. Although she disliked cold and sleeping on the ground, she once spent a night in a snow cave with an outdoor group just to stretch herself.

After she retired, Dorothy cared for her husband, re-organized and expanded the library for the large Loaves and Fishes homeless service center in Sacramento, taught adult literacy, registered disenfranchised voters in New Mexico, worked at the Sacramento Blood Bank, and organized Sacramento's Friends of the Library book sales. Dorothy enjoyed casual conversations with neighbors and friends, especially Jackie Wild who had raised her children alongside Dorothy. Always one to lean toward the less formal, at one point Dorothy said to a daughter, "If I can't wear my Dockers to an event, I am not going." When an initiative was put on a California ballot to make it illegal for a homosexual person to be a public school teacher, Don and Dorothy campaigned door-to-door against it. "Why would you want to narrow the pool of talent?" Dorothy questioned. The measure failed.

Until she could no longer, Dorothy kept herself active with walks through her beloved Central Valley landscapes and exercise classes such as Jazzercise. True to form, Dorothy fought and recovered from cancer twice beginning at age 70. In 2013, Dorothy moved to Danby, New York, to live with her son in a farmhouse, then into community living in nearby Ithaca.

Dorothy Brown was preceded in death by husband Donald Lee Brown; her parents, Rueben Anthony Sylva and Helen Hicks Sylva; her sisters, Mary Dell Stiller and Barbara Facha; and her daughter, Susan Brown Hoffman. Dorothy is survived by her brothers Charles Sylva and James Sylva; her other children, Dan, Patricia, and Jennifer Brown-Leon, son-in-law Mitch Hoffman, grandchildren Aaro and Mikko Lautamo, Paul and Philip Brown, and Time Leon, and her special, caring friend, Kay Stickane of Trumansburg.

Dorothy's family thanks the staffs at Old Hundred and Oak Hill Manor in Ithaca, NY for their capable, kind and loving care that made her last years much more comfortable.

We remember Dorothy's independent spirit, her relentless efforts to teach family, students and community members, and her passion for the causes of peace, equal opportunity, environmentalism, and education advocacy. Dorothy accomplished so much by reading voraciously, keeping up with current events and research, going to community activities and visiting new places, as well as taking college courses in the natural sciences and literature throughout her adult life and far into retirement. As one of her grandchildren stated concisely:
"Grandma was a kick-ass teacher and lifelong learner."

At Dorothy's request, here will be no public memorial service. In Dorothy's honor, please feel free to make a contribution to any organization you feel Dorothy would have favored.