Elsa Parshley Brown (1914-2009)

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BRUNSWICK – Elsa Parshley Brown, 94, passed on peacefully in her sleep on August 31, 2009 in Brunswick, Maine.

The daughter of Howard Madison Parshley and Nancy Fredricson Parshley, she was born in Boston in 1914 and grew up in Northampton, MA. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Smith College in 1935, majoring in music. After receiving a Master’s Degree in biology from Radcliffe/Harvard, she taught briefly as Instructor of Zoology at the University of Maine at Orono, but devoted the majority of her career to music.

Elsa married Stephen Brown MD in 1940. Residing in Northampton and later Amherst, MA, where Dr. Brown was College Physician at Amherst College, they raised a family of five children. Elsa played violin in the Springfield Symphony Orchestra for 50 years, and performed in numerous other ensembles. When her youngest child entered school, she became a full-time teacher in the Amherst Regional School System, developing an extensive string instrument program. Elsa enjoyed flying her husband’s plane, golf, family camping trips, and was an avid life-long reader. She retired from the Springfield Symphony in 1994 and moved to Maine to be close to her family.

Elsa is survived by children Anne Keith and husband Robert of New Gloucester, Stephen Brown of Carthage, Laurie Kennedy of Carthage and partner Mark Silber of Sumner, Edward Brown and wife Candelaria Orihuela of Santiago, Chile, and Nancy Beacham and husband Robert of Farmington; grandchildren Rebecca Matusovich, Roberto Keith, Katie Kennedy, Julia Kennedy, Elsa Brown, Diana Brown, Edward Brown, Adrienne Beacham, and Gwendolyn Beacham; a niece; a grand-niece; and five great-grandchildren. Elsa was predeceased by a brother; her husband in 1980; and an infant great grandson.

Contributions in Elsa’s memory may be made to: Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival, PO Box 544, Harrison, ME 04040 or Partners in Rural Health in the Dominican Republic, PO Box 1742, Portland, ME 04104.

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