Mary was born in Montreal, Quebec on September 23, 1914. She died in Victoria on June 2, 2012. Her mother, Hilda Blyth Buller-Colthurst came to Canada from Oxford, England, where she met her husband, Ove Jensen Hein. He hailed from the Island of Bornholm in Denmark. Ove worked as a civil engineer for the Ford Motor Company and owned his own engineering firm, Hein Construction, in Windsor, Ontario. Mary’s one sister, Daphne, an accomplished potter and sculptor, predeceased her. Mary’s early years were spent in Riverside and Walkerville, Ontario. In 1937, she received her B.A. from the University of Western Ontario. She went on to study Library Sciences in Toronto, where she met her future husband. For several years, she worked in the Willistead Library in Windsor, Ontario. In 1945, she married Richard Hall Brown, who was with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He died prematurely in 1981 at which time Mary became serious about painting, a pastime she continued to enjoy until only a few years ago. She was a member of the Canadian Federation of Artists, about which she was very proud. Her life was enriched by her interests in painting, music, books, the French language, travel and people. Mary will be greatly missed by her son, Richard Hein Brown and his wife Karen, as well as her two grandsons, Matthew William Otton and Paul Richard Brooker. She is also survived by many close friends and family. A special note of thanks is in order to those who cared for Mary as her health declined at the end of life, including Dr. Ted Rosenberg and the staff at Sunrise Assisted Living and Parkwood Court. Mary was an inspiration to all who came within her sphere. She lived a long and happy life surrounded by love.
A Memorial Service will be held in MCCALL BROS. FLORAL CHAPEL, Johnson & Vancouver Streets, at 2:00 pm on Monday, June 11, 2012 with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to C.N.I.B., 2340 Richmond Avenue, Victoria, BC V8R 4R9 Condolences may be offered to the family below.
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Mado Hald and Joan Hornby
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Guy Greve Correction: Mom’s mother, Guy Colthurst, was Mary’s mother’s brother.
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Guy Greve I believe I only met my aunt Mary once, in the mid 1980s at her apartment on beautiful Victoria Island. She was absolutely delightful and seemed quite the proper lady. Her paintings were lovely and she called son Dick to come over and meet me. I so enjoyed our visit and should have kept in touch. I left that up to my mother who was Mary’s first cousin, Rita Colthurst, also an artist. Mom died in 2010 at age 95. She spoke highly of Mary from their childhood and they always exchanged Christmas cards. Mom’s father Guy Colthurst was Mary’s brother. He was an architect and died in a car/train accident in 1946 in Amherstburg, Ontario. My condolences to Dick and family. I am the unofficial compiler of records for the family tree that was extensively developed by two generations of ancesters and would like to be in contact and receive as much family info as possible. Guy Greve, Bay City, Michigan 989-894-2191
Dear Dick and Karen,
We have received your sad announcement
that your mother has passed away.
We met her when she visited Denmark many
years ago and remember her as a bright and
very kind lady. We pay tribute to her name.
Love from Mado and Joan