Cindy Brown

Services for Cynthia Ellen “Cindy” (Dennis) Brown, 56, of Chico, California will be held at the LDS Church (Stake Center), 2430 Mariposa Avenue in Chico. On Friday, June 21, 2013 a viewing will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the following day, Saturday, June 22, 2013 the funeral service will begin at 9 a.m. A family gathering for the dedication of Cindy’s grave will be held at Green Valley Road Cemetery, 3004 Alexandrite Drive, Rescue, CA 95672 at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, 2013. Cindy passed away on June 17, 2013 at her residence in Chico with her loved ones by her side. She was born April 12, 1957 to Neil and Ina Dennis in Castro Valley, California. She was raised in San Leandro and San Lorenzo, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated from San Lorenzo High School in 1975, where she had been Head Cheerleader. After high school, Cindy continued her education attending Chabot College, Brigham Young University, and ultimately graduating from California State University, Hayward (now California State University, East Bay), with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development. From 1980 to 1982, she was a full-time, volunteer missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Arkansas Little Rock Mission. She treasured the opportunity to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and she spoke often about the people she met, the life lessons learned, and the depth of faith in Jesus Christ she gained through that experience. She once wrote: “There will always be a happy ending for those who believe in Jesus Christ”. On December 29, 1983 she married Drake Ladell Brown in the Oakland LDS Temple for time and for all eternity. They are the parents of five children. While her university education qualified her for other career pursuits, her chosen life’s work was that of a full-time mother. She never considered any other career after having children; to her, nothing could be more important, fulfilling, joyful and urgent as caring for, teaching, and giving support to her five children. She was preeminent in this chosen profession. Cindy also gave her time to volunteer work in various ways: as teacher and co-organizer of a pre-school cooperative, a public school classroom assistant, a Cub Scout leader, a Boy Scout merit-badge counselor, and many responsible positions at church (Relief Society President, Primary President, Young Women’s Presidency, Young Women’s Camp Leader, Family History Consultant, Seminary Teacher, Temple Ordinance Worker, etc.). Cindy loved vacation travel, water skiing, snow skiing, swimming, camping, walks in the park, hiking, and family gatherings. She also enjoyed doing genealogy research, deepening family relationships, and discovering historical family stories. Cindy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and bravely faced four operations, three years of chemotherapy, and whole brain radiation. Cindy is survived by her beloved husband of twenty-nine years, Drake; five children, Katelyn (Brayden) Green, Chelsie (Michael) Price, Chase (Delphine Bize) Brown, Brooke (Lyle) Nelson and Brett Brown; three grandchildren, Brooklyn and Caleb Green and Gwendolyn Price; her father, Neil (JoAnne) Dennis; sister, Rebecca (Tom) Norris; brothers, Brian (Melinda) Dennis, and Jason (Tracy) Dennis and thirty-eight nieces and nephews. Cindy was preceded in death by her mother, Ina Dennis on April 17, 2002. To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Cindy Brown, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.