Cecil Brown

Cecil Brown was a beloved member of Las Cruces Friends Meeting. He had a unique relationship with God, one in which he saw God as an equal with whom he could negotiate. His strong value of integrity inspired both the Meeting and his family. He always came to meeting into his 90s with a twinkle in his eye as we settled into worship.

Cecil was born June 17, 1925, to Cecil and Frances Perry Brown in Friendswood, TX, a Quaker community founded by his grandfather in the 1898. Growing up in the agricultural community with his three brothers led to many adventures and the beginning of his life as a builder, inventor, and risk taker. He and his brothers built a boat and took it down the river toward Galveston. Cecil attended the local one room, multi-grade school in Friendswood where he met Mary Baker, whom he would later marry. Throughout his life he was an athlete, in high school he played on the 6-man football team.

After high school he and Mary both attended Friends University in Wichita Kansas where he majored in Industrial Arts. They were married in the Friends Church in Friendswood in 1947. Since Mary still needed to finish college, they bought a house in Wichita. After college they returned to Friendswood and Cecil helped with the running of the family fig plant.

One of Cecil’s strong loves was for trees. During his life he planted hundreds of trees, figs, pecans and a variety of evergreen and deciduous trees that are on the property in Mesilla.

In Friendswood they had a ranch, and he built houses. They had three children: Stuart, Steve and Teresa. Mary had health challenges during her pregnancies which meant that Cecil did a lot of caregiving for her and childcare from the beginning. When Mary developed environmental allergies, they moved to Las Cruces in 1980 seeking a dryer climate.

In Las Cruces they were happy to find the young small unprogrammed Friends Meeting, which had started up in the 1970s. Cecil designed and helped to build a rammed earth house on the west mesa above the Rio Grande. Mary’s health improved. He continued his athletic life with running in 5ks to marathons. They bought a piece of property in Las Cruces that included a home for Teresa, some rental apartments and a house in front that they rented to the Meeting as a meeting house. This property was best known for its garden patio in back where many events including weddings and memorials were held. The love and care of Cecil and Mary helped the meeting grow. They were especially welcoming and nurturing to all the children that came to meeting.

In the Meeting Cecil served on buildings and grounds and clearness committees. He kept a keen eye on the finances and needs of the Meeting. He cared about and supported friends working on different issues.

When the meeting eventually moved to a new building on Mesquite Street, he led the building of the portals in the front and the back of the building. He continued helping on workdays into his 90s.

As Mary’s health deteriorated Cecil became a full time caregiver for her. His patience and compassion were noted by many. She passed in 2016. In his last years Cecil continued to care for his property in Mesilla, NM and to help his children and others as he could. He enjoyed the plants and roses and was seen propping up a tree that was challenged by the wind.

He was a quiet pillar, an inspiration and a kind heart for our meeting.