Colleen Sue Brown Perkins, daughter of Justice C. Stuart Brown and Jane Hurst Brown, formerly of Star Valley and Kemmerer, Wyo., passed away on June 1, in the loving arms of her daughter and son-in-law in Cedar Hill, Texas. She was 68 years old.
She was born on October 11, 1949, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Colleen attended schools in Afton and Kemmerer.
She graduated from Kemmerer High School and went on to attend LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, Utah; El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., and Brookhaven College in Farmer’s Branch, Texas. She studied business and design. She married Rickey Lee Perkins in 1971. They divorced in 2001.
She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings, including counselor in both the Relief Society and Primary organizations and teacher in Sunday School. She was a gifted artist and loved to paint, draw and create clever crafts. She loved studying the gospel, reading and viewing history stories and spending time with all animals, especially cats.
In the family, Colleen was known for her quick wit and her devotion to family members. She had a special bond with her brother Jim, who was just 18 months older. As children they were inseparable. She was challenged with dyslexia. Reading was difficult for her, but she persisted and supplemented her learning with music, books on tape, computer programs and documentary movies. She particularly enjoyed learning about gospel doctrine, history and animals. She was an avid viewer of Jeopardy and usually beat the contestants to the answers. In her later years, she became ill and suffered for 28 years with several debilitating autoimmune diseases, but continued her passion for learning even when she became bedridden.
She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Hawkins (Brett); grandchildren Makayla (fiancé Ethan Anderson) and Parker Grody, all of Cedar Hill, Texas; her mother, Jane Hurst Brown of Cheyenne, Wyo.; two brothers, Dr. James Brown (Barbara) of University Park, Wash., and Robert Brown (Cynthia) of Saratoga Springs, Utah; four sisters, Julia Gibson of Dallas, Texas; Patricia Wilkinson (Dave) of Cheyenne, Wyo.; Helen Curry (Tim) of Vancouver, Wash., and Virginia Evans (John) of Valle Vista, Calif.; her brother-in-law, Paul Christensen of Logan, Utah; many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends across the country. She is preceded in death by her father, Charles Stuart Brown; her sister, Ann Christensen; two brothers, Charles and Hugh Brown, and her brother-in-law, Dan Gibson. Colleen had a fond memory of her pets, both living and gone, including Sugar, Candy, Wonder, Bubba, Slick and Sivad, all cats, and August, her dog.
There will be a memorial service on Saturday, June 23, at 10 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 1017 Big Stone Gap Rd in Duncanville, Texas, 75137. Her remains will be interred at the cemetery in Fairview, Wyo., at a later date. Flowers and other memorials are welcome, or you may donate to your favorite charity in Colleen’s name.
