Constance (Connie) Renee Washington Brown was born on Aug. 1, 1952, in Hazelwood, Ohio, a small neighborhood 15 miles north of Cincinnati. Her parents, Herbert William Washington and Willa Battle Washington, owned Stanton's Delicatessen and adjoining apartments that housed Walnut Hills residents for more than 44 years. Connie grew up in the predominantly Black community of Hazelwood, which is tucked into the northern portion of Blue Ash. She attended Sycamore High School and received several offers to attend historically Black universities and colleges, including a full scholarship to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Although it was an enticing offer, she decided to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Connie had a keen interest in education and the sciences.  She studied early childhood education, plant biology and microbiology and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. While there, she met a debonair native Washingtonian, Malphus Sertis Brown. The two fell in love and married on
Feb. 23, 1974, at Howard University's chapel. It was during Connie's college years that she came to know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She would recount how the Lord would not let her go, often ending up in church services that would compel her to consider life-changing questions, like what account would you give to a perfect God to enter into his eternal kingdom? Connie realized it was nothing but the blood of Jesus that
could wash her filthy garments white as snow. With this, Connie and Malphus moved their growing family to Knoxville, Tennessee, to complete their graduate studies. While in graduate school, Connie was baptized and became an active member of a local church, singing praises to God all along the seasons of her changing life from daughter and sister to wife, mother and educator.

The world was Connie's oyster. Having the opportunity to travel during summer breaks, she epitomized the moniker "just a pilgrim down here" before it became her email handle. She traveled to South Asia and worked in the rice paddies of Nepal as part of her Ph.D. studies in microbiology. The majority of her travels had a missionary focus that would eventually inspire her daughter and the two went on multiple missionary trips together, including a trip to Turkey and southern France where they passed out bibles to Algerian and Moroccan travelers taking the ferry back to their homeland. Connie wasn't scared to travel during challenging times, either. She taught English as a second language to students in Libya post the 2011 Arab Spring. She also  traveled throughout Central Africa and encountered the remarkable generosity of Christian brothers and sisters throughout small towns in Uganda, Rwanda and South Africa. Her ministry included domestic missionary work with Joni Eareckson Tada to people living with a disability in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. Connie also served faithfully as co-chair of the Women of Grace Conference hosted by New Home Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Connie's humble leadership encouraged Christain women to seek the Lord's will through study and prayer.

After returning and settling with her husband and children in Washington, D.C., Connie joined Capitol Hill Baptist Church and served as a long-
standing member. She continued her domestic missions by helping to initiate two churches in the District, Anacostia River Church and Mercy of Christ Fellowship Church. She fellowshipped at Mercy more recently. As an educator, Connie served a countless number of generations, including
her own children, when she taught at Capitol Hill Day School. She often used songs to help children remember a key point or theme. One of the most recent songs she taught her kindergartners was a Fannie Lou Hammer song. Connie lived out the verse in Colossians 3:16, by letting the word of Christ dwell in her richly, teaching and admonishing in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in her heart to God. Even while going through lung cancer treatment and related hospital stays, Connie would sing songs of praise to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to whomever would listen; knowing that from the Lord she would receive an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading in heaven.

Connie is survived by her husband, Malphus; her three beloved children: Whenn, Gaius and Joanna; daughter-in-law, Adrienne Brown; grandson,
Wesley Brown; three brothers: Michael, Wayne and Timothy Washington. One brother, Anthony Washington, preceded her in death. Her memory will also be cherished by a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, neighbors, fellow church members and students.