Florence was born on September 18, 1931, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Raymond Taylor Bye and Virginia Lippincott Higgins Bye. She grew up in Moylan and Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. She attended George School, a Quaker boarding school where her father had also attended. After 1 year at Swarthmore College, she moved to Colorado, where she graduated from Colorado College with double majors in Geology and Philosophy.
She married Ronald Hale Brown in 1954, and together they had seven children, three of whom have preceded her in death. They were divorced in 1977 after 23 years of marriage.
Florence loved all animals but had a special passion for cats. In her later years she considered herself a “cat rescue sanctuary”. She felt she was put here on this earth to help cats in need. When Colorado passed a law limiting the number of cats a family could have, she and her youngest son, Tony, moved to Moscow, Idaho, which had no such law. They brought about 50 cats, several ducks and a dog with them in a small motor home.
Florence’s arrival in 2001 was auspicious for Pullman-Moscow Monthly Meeting (P-MMM). Arnold’s first wife, Fannie Jane, was dying, and Arnold was overwhelmed and exhausted caring for her. Our small Meeting helped them as much as we could, but we were also stretched very thin. Then Florence arrived without any preset obligations and took on the “lion's share” of their care. We were all relieved!
Following Fannie Jane’s death in 2002, Arnold took an extended trip back to Pennsylvania to visit his brother and numerous old friends.
Upon his return Arnold announced that he and Florence wanted to get married under the care of Pullman-Moscow Monthly Meeting, but there were obstacles. Among them was the fact that he wanted to marry Florence but did not want to marry some 50 cats! Florence was equally certain that she wanted to marry him, but she was adamant that she did not want to give up her ministry to abandoned cats!
Arnold was as passionate and giddy as any teenager, while Florence was calmer. Eventually, out of the clearness process a solution evolved that worked for everyone. They bought a house outside of Moscow with one living level for them and a full basement for the cats. They were married under P- MMM’s care on September 20, 2003. She was 72 and he was 83 at the time.
Since then, it is impossible to think about Florence without seeing Arnold by her side. These two people were their own individual selves, but they connected in such a way as to share one heart, mind, and spirit. Following his death in 2012, Florence often said her years with him were the best ones of her life. They were a gift to each other and certainly to P-MMM.
Florence had an indomitable spirit. She was fiercely independent. She was a thoughtful, articulate, intellectually engaged and plain-spoken Friend. She loved learning, sharing history videos with us sometimes in her home or after meeting for worship. She was a friend, confident, mentor, sounding board for us, and a voice for what is just and right.
Having been a birthright Friend, Florence knew at a deep level what it was to be a Quaker. She exemplified our Testimonies in word and deed. She contributed much to the spiritual and social life of our Meeting. We appreciated her concern for peace and social justice, in particular her support for restorative justice.
When she anticipated being physically unable to care for all the cats, she began finding good homes for each of them, matching their personalities and needs with those of the people who wanted them. As they went to new homes, she grieved the loss of them and lost much of her zest for life.
Florence passed away on November 19th, 2021, at the age of 90. She spent her final days at the home of her daughter, Alison, on beautiful Whidbey Island, Washington. She died with Alison and Reese, the best “hospice cat” in the world, at her side. Reese, a sweet and lovable cat she had rescued from certain death, remained at her side in the final week of her life, purring in her ear to the very end.
She is survived by 4 children, 7 grandchildren, 1 great granddaughter, and many cats who survive only because of the love and assistance she gave them.