Shirley Ann Brown

SHIRLEY A. BROWN February 16, 1933 ˜ December 12, 2025 Shirley Ann Brown (neé Kemps), 92, of Vancouver, Washington, passed away from lung cancer on December 12, 2025, at the Northwest Adult Family Home in Vancouver. Shirley was born at home on February 16, 1933, to Herbert Kemps and Lillian (Zastrow) Kemps in Wausau, Wisconsin. She graduated from Wausau High School in 1951. Ever the adventurous type, in 1952 at age 19, she and a coworker Ginny decided to transfer from a local insurance agency to their Portland, Oregon, office. They loaded up their few belongings, boarded the train and headed to Portland. She spent most of her career working for numerous insurance agencies. A year later, she met Franklin Kincaid, and they married on June 26, 1954. Four children were born from that marriage: Laura, Jeff, Greg and Kevin. Greg passed away at birth. They divorced in 1970. She married George L. Brown on August 25, 1979, and eventually settled in Vancouver, Washington. Shirley was a lifelong Lutheran and was previously a member of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Vancouver. She was also a long-distance supporter of Kevin and Shannon’s church, St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Camp Hill, PA. She enjoyed watching their services on YouTube when she became home bound. Taking after her father, Shirley loved gardening and was blessed with a wonderful green thumb and beautiful gardens. She also enjoyed crocheting and made many prayer shawls for her church. Most of all, she was an avid genealogist, and filled her office with files, maps and books chronicling her German and Belgian backgrounds. She also loved to bake, whether it was kuchen for Christmas, cookies for church coffee hour or breads/casseroles for friends and family. Stubborn as she could be (in a nice way!), she insisted on baking until she physically couldn’t do it anymore. She is survived by her husband, George; her three children, Laura Donnelley, Jeff (Sharon) and Kevin (Shannon); four grandchildren, Tess, Madison, Logan (Trianna) and Greg (fiancée Bekah), and the apple of her eye great-granddaughter Parker Marie. She is also survived by her sister, Elaine Treu of Wisconsin; sister-in-law, Kathleen Winther; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews in Wisconsin, Texas and Minnesota. Her sister, Delores, predeceased her in March 2025. The family also wishes to thank Carolina and the staff at the Northwest Adult Family Home and Amy and the staff at PeaceHealth Hospice for taking excellent care of Shirley during her final months. Funeral services will be held on Monday, December 29, 2025, at 10 a.m. at Evergreen Memorial Gardens at 1101 NE 112th Ave., Vancouver, WA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Meals on Wheels.

Shirley Ann Brown

February 16, 1933 - December 12, 2025