Deborah Denise Matthews Brown was born May 29, 1959, in Boerne, Texas, to Ethel Mae Matthews. She went to be with the Lord on Jan. 12, 2015, at the age of 55.
She is survived by her husband, Marvin E. Brown of Tow; daughter, Christina Brown Smith and grandson Brayden Aaron Smith of Cedar Creek; mother, Ethel Matthews of Johnson City; sisters, Ann Matthews Hashaw and husband Earl of Johnson City and Elizabeth Matthews Schmitz and husband Brian of Cottonwood Shores; and nieces Justine Hashaw of Marble Falls and Haley Hashaw of Johnson City.
Deborah was preceded in death by her infant son, Aaron Matthew Thomas, and father, John Richard Matthews.
Deborah achieved many great accomplishments in her life. She was the valedictorian of the graduating class of 1976 at Lyndon B. Johnson High School in Johnson City.
On Nov. 10, 1984, she married Marvin Brown and settled in Tow. Deborah was a member of First Baptist Church of Tow, and she and Marvin successfully ran the Bluffton Store for more than a decade. Most recently, Deborah earned her Realtor’s license and first experienced success as a real estate agent in the Bastrop area before returning two years ago to Llano County, where she established herself as a trusted real estate advisor.
Deborah was most proud of her daughter, Christina, and grandson, Brayden. It seemed her world became complete on April 29, 1998, when Brayden was born. She delighted in being his full-time caregiver during his pre-school years and continued to be his biggest fan and partner in crime, including keeping after-school detention in middle school a secret from his mother.
Deborah overcame many challenges in her life — the loss of her son and her medical and physical ailments, just to name a few — but she overcame the obstacles with fierce determination to meet each goal she set her mind to. She was a self-taught bookkeeper, a home renovation specialist and the family’s go-to seamstress for contest-winning Halloween costumes. Deborah even sewed her own wedding dress as well as the dresses for her bridal party.
Deborah held a special place in so many lives. Her sisters and close family called her Debbie; her nieces knew her as Aunt Deb; her daughter called her Ma; and her grandson called her “Manga.” It was one of his first words, and the one he always used to call his grandma. His grandpa Marvin is “Binks.”
A funeral service is 2 p.m. Jan. 17 at Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Home, 307 E. Sandstone in Llano, (325) 247-4300, with Pastor John Taylor officiating.
Email whhfuneral1@verizon.net with condolences.
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