Eva "Clarice" Brown

Clarice Brown was born June 2, 1927 at the Portage General Hospital and passed away quietly on Monday, November 18, 2019 a few blocks north at Lion’s Prairie Manor; she was 92 years of age.

Clarice was predeceased by her parents William “Gus” and Eva (nee Allen), former husband Donald, and brother Bill. She will be fondly remembered by her brother Mervyn Linden of Toronto; son Allen (Antoine) of Ottawa; and daughters Rhoda (Gloria) of Kenora and Sandra (Derek) of 108 Mile Ranch, BC; grandsons Mitchell and Mat and several nieces, nephews and grand-nephews.

Clarice loved to teach, a profession she decided to pursue when only four years old.  She taught primary school for over 40 years in the Portage School Division, beginning in a one-room school house in Old High Bluff at 19 after graduation from normal school, before moving on to Victoria School where she taught Grade One for many years, and completing her career at Crescentview School as a resource teacher. Apart from teaching, more than anything else Clarice loved Delta Beach.  She spent many happy childhood summers there with her two brothers under the watchful eye of neighbours Charlie and Gladys Greenlay, while her mother ran Linden’s Flowers florist shop after her father died when she was just 13.  She enjoyed nothing more than being at her cottage, listening to the birds, enjoying the warm summer breeze from Lake Manitoba, playing tennis, visiting with her good friend Joyce Ward, taking in the spectacular sunsets or enjoying a bonfire on the beach. Clarice also loved the arts.  She took oil-painting lessons in her younger years (excelling at portraits), and was an enthusiastic member of the Carillon Singers for many years. Clarice also loved to travel, at first with her family on cross-country camping trips to Toronto, British Columbia, Dartmouth N.S., the Black Hills of North Dakota, Mount Rushmore, and Yellowstone Park, and later to China and Europe and to visit her daughters in 108 Mile Ranch and Kenora and son in Ottawa and on his diplomatic postings to Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Tel Aviv.  Her faith was very important to her and Clarice was a life-long member of the church family at Trinity United Church from its very beginning, even marching with the former congregation of Grace Methodist Church (located on the site of the Herman Prior Centre) to a new home in the former Knox Presbyterian Church (now Trinity).  Clarice will be dearly missed by all who were taught by her or knew her as a friend.  With her brother Bill, she shared a tremendous enjoyment of life in Portage la Prairie, and will be warmly remembered by her family and remaining friends.

Funeral Service will be being held at 11:00 am on Monday, November 25, 2019 at Trinity United Church, led by Rev. Julie Baker.  Clarice will be laid to rest in the Linden family plot at Hillside Cemetery, Portage la Prairie.

As expressions of sympathy, if friends so wish, donations may be made in Clarice’s memory to Trinity United Church, 15 Tupper St. S., Portage la Prairie, MB, R1N 1W7.

A tree will be planted in memory and cared for by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel.  www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com