Cathy Jean Brown

Cathy was born on October 16th, 1958 in Price, UT to Elfredia Victoria Orlandi and Lloyd Odell Keele. She is survived by her husband, Don and her daughter Caycee (Clancy Holz) as well as her sister Tracy (Rick) Collins. She is also survived by dozens of Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Nieces and Nephews as well as innumerable friends and coworkers who considered her family too.

Cathy married the love of her life, Don Brown, on April 22nd, 1978. The two of them met when Cathy was just 14 and were high school sweethearts. Cathy’s parents lived right off of State Street in Sandy, UT at the time and for their first date her mother insisted that they go across the street to the Frost Top where she could keep an eye on them from the house. That first date sparked a lifetime of firsts and marked the beginning of a love story that never ended.

Many years later, the two of them would be lucky enough to adopt their loving daughter, Caycee. After years of thinking that they wouldn’t have the chance to be parents Caycee was, as Cathy would say, ‘dropped in their laps’ and their little family was finally complete. As Caycee grew up, Cathy became a mother to not only her, but all of her friends as well. It was not uncommon to hear many, many people refer to Cathy as Mom because that is what she was to anyone who needed her. She and Don were always willing to be there when someone needed them, no matter how big or small the need.

Cathy was loved by anyone who knew her and anyone who knew her would tell you that she always spoke her mind and never pulled punches. She was a feisty and fiery Italian who always lived life to the fullest and never backed down from a challenge. There was no obstacle too big and no problem too difficult to solve. In every walk of life, Cathy had a way of overcoming the odds and surprising those around her simply by being herself.

Cathy worked in the medical field for 35 years as a surgical assistant and often said that being in surgery was one of the places she loved being most. She worked at Cottonwood Hospital for a time before moving to St. Mark’s Hospital where she worked for many years. She was also fortunate enough to work as a private surgical assistant for local ENT and OBGYN offices where she developed lasting relationships with doctors and peers alike. Despite having been out of the medical field for several years later in her life, she was the go-to medical resource for all of her friends and family. From splinting a finger while out camping, to steri-stripping a wound to avoid stitches and a scar, Cathy could often be found being a first-aid resource to those who knew and needed her.

Cathy also had the extreme pleasure of being a Brighton Ski Patrol Volunteer for 28 years and found herself a family within that community as well. She served on the Ski Patrol from 1982 to 2009 and some of her favorite memories were on the mountain and with fellow patrollers. Cathy was determined in everything she did and worked extremely hard to be not only a Senior Patroller, but also to achieve Gold Pin status. Throughout those decades, Cathy’s greatest focus on the patrol was in teaching emergency care to new patrollers and refreshing the skills of active patrollers. She was innovative in finding means of conveying concepts, so much so that even now she is remembered for how she taught infection control skills and how to recognize closed traumatic brain injuries. She was awarded Patroller of the Month in March of 2006 for her exceptional commitment and service to the patrol. The National Ski Patrol further recognized Cathy’s heroic efforts as a patroller, in an arduous backcountry rescue of an avalanche victim, with the award of a Green Merit Star in 1987. Even after her years on the patrol ended, Cathy thought of all of her fellow patrollers as a family and could often be heard reminiscing about their adventures on the mountain, including the time she and a fellow patroller found themselves in a dangerous part of the backcountry where they were forced to out ski an avalanche that they set off trying to get back to safety. She said it was one of the scariest things that she ever did in her life, but that it was an experience she wouldn’t trade for anything.

In her later career she worked for an insurance exchange (WTW) in South Jordan for 13 years in their escalations department helping people deal with some of their most difficult insurance issues in any way she could. She loved being able to help people in that way and was always excited to learn about something new along the way. Her coworkers at this company came to think of her as family too and she was a friend and mother figure to dozens of them over the years, making lasting memories with everyone she knew.

Outside of her work life, Cathy was equally remarkable. She was one of four generations of oil painters in her family and won many awards over the years for her artistic skill. She was fortunate enough to share that love of painting with not only other relatives, including her daughter, but many others who became lifelong friends to her and her family including a group of ladies who all bonded with her over the fact that they all had husbands named Don. Cathy had a wonderfully artistic eye and the works of art that she created over the years will be cherished for many generations to come.

Cathy had a wonderful love of the outdoors and spent much of her life exploring the world around her. From dozens of road trips and campouts to boating, cliff diving and water-skiing adventures, Cathy always found a way to live life to the fullest. She was never afraid to take a chance and explore a new chapter in life and she taught everyone she knew how to do the same. She loved to explore new places and was fortunate enough to see dozens upon dozens of them over the years.

She loved Waylon Jennings and his words and lyrics spoke to her as much as his voice did. She could often be heard singing along to one of his songs and saying how much she loved his voice. She would often joke that ‘he’s one man I’d let eat crackers in my bed’. She loved his music and his country outlaw side resonated with her own inner rebel. “There’s always one more way to do things, and that’s your way” ~ Waylon Jennings. Cathy always did things her own way and she taught many of us how to do the same. She was a mother to anyone who knew her and a friend and support system to anyone who needed it. She always used to say that “there is a difference between a handout and hand up” and she and her husband Don never hesitated to give a hand up to anyone they could. Many of her co-workers at WTW recall the days when she and Don started a food bank at the company after the two of them found out just how many of the people who worked there were struggling to put food in their mouths. Every morning she and her daughter would get to work early to set up the food donations for the day and every night her husband, Don would bring more donations home for the next day. It was a small gesture, but one that she and Don took very seriously stating that ‘no one should have to worry about where their next meal would come from’. Even though it was only one small corner of the world, many of her coworkers were forever changed by being around that level of love and generosity.

Cathy believed that the people around us, those who impact our lives, are the greatest gift we are given in life. Cathy impacted the lives of everyone she knew and made lasting impressions on every one of them. Anyone she met had the potential to be a lifelong friend and she did her best to be a friend to anyone who needed it. She was a very honest person, sometimes to a fault, but you always knew where you stood with her. The legacy that she leaves behind her is a remarkable one, likely far bigger than anything she would have ever believed. She always believed that we never leave the ones we love, and she loved without reserve. If you had the pleasure of knowing Cathy, please know that she will always be a part of you and will always be near if you ever need to call on her. She never turned her back on someone who needed her and that is a fact that will never change. Please know that she will be with all of us, always.

Per her wishes, Cathy will be cremated and a memorial in her honor will be held on Saturday, September 6th from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. at the Bridlewood Villa located at 1898 West 9270 South, West Jordan, UT 84088. Please come and join us in celebrating the remarkable life that Cathy Jean lived. Refreshments and beverages will be served as well.

As an additional option for those looking to send flowers, Cathy was very passionate about animals and fought her own battle with Breast Cancer. Should anyone wish to do so, donations can be made in her name to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org) or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, UT (https://bestfriends.org/sanctuary).