Obituary of Shirley R Brown

Shirley Brown, loving wife of the late trucking icon and entrepreneur, Bernard A. Brown, died Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at the age of 93, at her home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The couple would have been married 70 years before his passing. Shirley was formerly from Philadelphia and Vineland, New Jersey. Born in Vineland NJ, she was the daughter of the late Benjamin and Emma Greenblatt. She graduated from Vineland High in 1947 and went on to attend the University of North Carolina. Along with her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Brown believed in giving back to the community and never forgot their roots. Over the years, Mr. and Mrs. Brown supported numerous local and national organizations with their time and philanthropy. In 2008, the Shirley and Bernard Brown University Center opened at Cumberland County Community College to support student life. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were also active supporters of the Vineland United Way and Jewish Federation of Cumberland County. In addition, for the last decade Mrs. Brown has been active supporter of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. In 2004 they joined the Department of Ophthalmology Advisory Board of the Harkness Eye Institute at Columbia University. They endowed a glaucoma research laboratory at Columbia University in 2005, and in 2007, they established the Shirley and Bernard Brown Professorship of Glaucoma at Columbia. Later, in 2018 they established the Shirley and Bernard Brown Glaucoma Genetics Initiative Fund at Columbia University. Mr. and Mrs. Brown established the Edward Viner Intensive Care Unit at Cooper Hospital, donated to the Humanism Center at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and endowed a scholarship fund for the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. In 2006 Mr. and Mrs. Brown established scholarships at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. Mrs. Brown also served on the Board of Directors for both Beth Israel Synagogue & Beth Israel Sisterhood. Shirley also served on the Board of Directors of both regional cultural institution, Wheaton Arts, as well as the Board of the Creative Glass Center of America. In addition to her loving husband, Shirley Brown was preceded in death by her parents, Benjamin & Emma Greenblatt; siblings, Mike Greenblatt and Stanton Greenblatt. She is lovingly survived by her children Anne Koons, Ike Brown (Candy), Sid Brown (Sandy), and Jeff Brown (Tracy); ten grandchildren; six great grandchildren; sister Sandra Yablow; and her sister in-laws Joan & Adele Greenblatt. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in the honor of Shirley Brown can be donated to: The Cooper Foundation, 101 Haddon Ave., Suite 302 Camden, NJ 08103 or Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Center for Humanism, 401 South Broadway, Room 429, Camden, NJ 08103. Friends and family will be received on Sunday, April 7, 2024 from 11am to 12pm followed by a funeral service at 12pm from Beth Israel Congregation, 1015 East Park Avenue, Vineland. Interment will follow in Alliance Cemetery, Norma. ARRANGEMENTS are under the supervision of Rone Funeral Service, 1110 East Chestnut Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360 To send online condolences please visit our website at www.RONEFUNERALSERVICE.com