Obituary of Dolly Brown

Indira Ann Brown, affectionately known to all as “Dolly” or “Aunt Dolly,” was born on September 21, 1953, in Montclair, New Jersey, to Burt and Pearl Laws. She transcended into eternal peace on April 22, 2023.

Dolly graduated from Plainfield High School in 1971. After high school, she attended Rutgers University-New Brunswick for one year until she gained employment at Lockheed Martin and began to work full time.

In 1972, at age 19, she married her high school sweetheart, Bruce R. Brown. Once married, they bought a home and began their beautiful life together. They traveled, backpacked, and lived like hippies until they welcomed their first child, Derek, in 1981. They went on to welcome two additional children: Daren in 1983 and Dawnne in 1988.

Dolly always had a thirst for knowledge and a passion for learning. She loved reading books and novels, and she also loved writing. Determined to continue learning, she returned to school at the age of 50 to complete college. She attended classes at night and on weekends while she continued to work full time and raise her family. Dolly graduated summa cum laude from Saint Peter’s University in May 2007. She was the true embodiment of “it’s never too late” for anything. Dolly worked at UMDNJ in Newark, New Jersey, for 27 years until her retirement in 2020.

Dolly did not allow her diagnosis to hinder her. She was a member of her neighborhood area block association, Pemberton Area Block Association (PABA). She found great joy as a member of the service-driven PABA, raising money for various charities and organizations to help those in need. In 2021, Dolly began her journey in pottery. Her newfound hobby developed into a passion. She began creating beautiful items in classes at Visual Arts Center of New Jersey and duCret Center of Art. Through her classes at duCret Center of Art, Dolly participated in arts shows where some of her pieces were sold to the public. Dolly also recently joined the Scotch Plains YMCA for their LiveStrong program. As a member, she connected with cancer survivors as well as those battling the disease. They supported one another and, together, achieved goals of physical and emotional well-being.

In November 2022, Dolly and Bruce celebrated 50 beautiful years of marriage! Dolly’s big, bright smile and loving, warm heart were always open to everyone. No matter who she encountered, she treated everyone with love!

Dolly was preceded in death by her parents, Burt and Pearl Laws; sister, Sharon Laws; aunts, Estella Squash, Anna Johnson, and Marion Saunders; uncles, Theodore Saunders and Mark Squash; cousin, Jonathan Squash; and nephew, Andre L. Laws.

Dolly leaves to cherish loving memories her husband, Bruce Brown; children, Derek Brown (Patsy), Daren Brown (Jennifer), and Dawnne Carnegie (Rafael); nieces, Shanda-Joy Laws and Whitney Overby; nephews, Travis Myers, Vance Overby (Alicia), Andre T. Laws, and Lorenzo Laws; cousin, Lanny Lance of Louisiana; grandchildren, Sean Gadiare, Miah Brown, Asiya Thomas, Aiyana Brown, Ayzhan Cooper, Dezhan Cooper, Daren Brown Jr., and Derek Brown Jr.; along with a multitude of family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the Brown family asks that you donate to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation as the fight for a cure continues!

themmrf.org/get-involved/ways-to-donate/