Mary Elizabeth Brown-Foster

Mary Elizabeth Brown Foster passed away peacefully in her sleep December 3, 2009. She was born November 17, 1919, to Edward Hazzard Miller and Mary Lessenger Miller in Oklahoma City. She attended Classen High School and entered college in New York at the very young age of 16. After one year in New York, she transferred to the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a BA degree in Economics. She was an ardent member of Pi Beta Phi and long participated as an active alumna of her beloved sorority. Mary Liz then worked for several years in the family enterprise, Miller-Jackson Company. In 1953, Mary Liz married Wilbur P. Brown, an Army captain from Chicago stationed at Ft. Sill. Wil passed away in 1993. Mary Liz later married Lon Foster in 1997, a marriage that they both enjoyed until Lon's death in July of 2000. Mary Liz was a longtime member of All Souls' Episcopal Church and served for many years on its Altar Guild. She was a longtime member of many organizations, including the Junior League of Oklahoma City, Philomathea Club, the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, Garden of the Gods Club and the Chipita Park and Ute Pass Associations. She was also a member of Dig and Hope Garden Club, several book clubs and bridge clubs. Mary Liz was a great lover of the fine arts from an early age, perhaps owing to a closeness she developed with her grandmother, Anna H. Miller, a prolific early Oklahoma painter who studied with many now famous Impressionists in California and Connecticut. She was a member of the Oklahoma Art League and Art Renaissance Club and developed a lifelong passion for collecting anything from southwestern art to oriental objets d'art. She was the only member of Art Renaissance Club able to trace her family's continuous membership to the early beginnings of the club through her mother and grandmother before her. Mary Liz enjoyed the performing arts, as she attended the symphony and theater throughout her life. It was Mary Elizabeth's grandparents, Edward J. Miller and Anna H. Miller who made it possible for the Episcopal Diocese to purchase the beautiful land and lake for the establishment of Casady School. Her son, grandsons, niece Elizabeth Kittrell McCord of Langley, WA, and nephew Edward Miller McCord of Colorado Springs all attended Casady. If ever a woman loved life and people, Mary Liz was at the top of the list. She very much enjoyed meeting people and creating several friendships which extend back to childhood. She loved going, doing and being with others. Among her favorite activities were golfing, walking, shopping, having parties and enjoying endless hours at the bridge table. Ever fit, she was famous among family and friends for the many miles she seemed to effortlessly walk daily, even in her 80's. Adventurous from an early age, she once accepted a dare in her teen years from a boy, subsequently scaling the Nichols Hills water tower and descending with its top light bulb in hand. She had a great love of the outdoors. In her young years, she spent many summers in Colorado Springs. For the last twenty years, she enjoyed immensely inviting groups of the "girls" to the Springs for weeklong house parties, affairs which consisted largely of breakfast bridge, lunch bridge and dinner bridge, intermixed with local sightseeing. She is survived by her only child, Jeffrey Stewart Brown and his wife Kathy of Oklahoma City, and their children, Pack and Josh Brown, and Paula K. Porter of Edmond, her husband Clovis and their daughter, Kristin. In addition to Kittrell and Ed mentioned above, she is survived by her sister, Nancy Miller McCord of Colorado Springs, and numerous nieces and nephews from coast to coast. She also leaves behind many people, without regard to generation, whom she can clearly claim as true friends. As her friends and relatives may miss her mirth, quick smile, wit, and energy, we comfort each other knowing Heaven will be greatly enriched by her company.