Cordelia Elizabeth Hinkson Brown was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 5th, 1922 to Cordelia Sander Chew Hinkson and Dr. DeHaven Hinkson, Jr. Nicknamed Betty, she enjoyed and cherished her youth growing up with a loving extended family and good friends.
After graduating from the prestigious Philadelphia High School for Girls, she went on to receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Romance Languages from Cornell University in 1944 and pursued graduate studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City in 1946 – 48.
While working as a teaching assistant in Spanish at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Betty met Charles Shelton “Chuck” Brown, a Law student and veteran of combat in Italy in World War II. They married in 1949 and soon began a family with the birth of their con Charles in 1950. In 1953, the Browns moved to Detroit, where their son Phillip was born in1955.
Betty was a proud progressive and political activist and in 1960, became the statewide campaign scheduler in Michigan for the Democratic Party, including for the appearances by Governor G Mennen Williams who was running for reelection and then presidential candidate Senator John F. Kennedy. Daughter Beverly was born that same year 1960 in Lansing.
In 1961, Betty, Chuck settled the family into what became their permanent home in the Detroit neighborhood of Lafayette Park. Betty thrived in the vibrant social and civic life of the early years and exemplified the social activism of the original “Parkers.” Betty, who lived on Joliet Place in the Mies Van der Rohe townhouse she loved for 61 years until her death, was a caretaker of precious shared memories and, was thought of by the close-knit community as the conscience and grandmother of Lafayette Park
Betty taught for more than 20 years in the Detroit public schools, originally as one of the first head start teachers in the country, and later as one of Detroit's first Spanish-English bi-lingual teachers. Throughout her career, Betty was among the legions of teachers in this country who work tirelessly despite the lack of resources and in spite of administrative and political obstacles to educate the children for whom she cared so deeply.
Betty lived a life driven by deep social consciousness and was actively engaged in community affairs up to the end. She loved history and spent decades researching and documenting her family’s genealogy, Betty was an active member of the Democratic Party, the Detroit Study Club and the Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society. For many years, she was a docent at the Charles Wright Museum and a member of Tent 3 of the Daughters of Union Veterans.
Her sister Mary Hinkson Jackson, who predeceased her, said that in their youth, Betty was the life of every party and was always the first and last person on the dance floor. She was indeed the life of her 100th birthday party in November, 2022 delighting in the company of family, friends and neighbors.
In addition to her sister, Mary, Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Charles. She is survived by her sons Charles and Phillip (Kim), daughter Beverly (James); her grandchildren, Alexander, Cordelia and Sonitra; her great grandchildren, Serenity and Kevin; her niece Jennifer (Jonathan), nephew Lawrence (Robin); several great nieces and nephews; and her extended family of friends in Philadelphia and Lafayette Park- Detroit.
Arrangements for Ms. Brown are as follows:
In lieu of flowers, Betty asked that donations be made to one of the following organizations:
· Habitat for Humanity
· Planned Parenthood
· Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund
· Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières
· The Library Company of Philadelphia
· Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society
Services and Celebrations:
Memorial Service*
Saturday, July 22, 2023
Christ Church
960 Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, MI 48207
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
(Family hour 10:00 AM)
Lafayette Park Community Celebration
Sunday, July 23, 2023
12:00 Noon
Picnic in Joliet Place – Playground
Detroit, MI 48207
My mother passed in December, but we are having the memorial this Saturday! Same time as Councilwoman’s !
SO LONG , FAREWELL, ADIOS, LOVE YOU MORE, MOM
Well, Mom is gone. I’ve never been like this before, that is without her in the world.
She lived with such grace and beauty; and she left us all so gracefully.
On the Saturday before her Thursday passing, I heard her say happily when waking, “I feel like I’m floating away ! You know the song : So long, farewell, da, da , da ,da, da, da ,da . And the other one is “What a wonderful world !” . She joyfully sang goodbye to us ,commending and praising Life and this World to us. Telling us to live in this wonderful world. That is a very graceful parting word. For she was very much aware and concerned about the problems of our world. But in her summary about it all, she emphasized the positive, and held her tongue on her criticisms of the world.
Which criticisms she had many in her long life, believe me. Her criticisms of the world were in sympathy with those in oppression and suffering. She was a social and political thinker and activist.
She was a secular Mother Superior, very, very virtuous and ethical. She lived a life of caring labor for others, true love as sacrifice for people, especially children. She certainly took care of and raised me , my brother and sister especially well. I wrote a poem upon my graduation from high school; it still is pretty true today:
In Laurem Parentis (In Praise of Parents)
All that I am , I owe to a Grace…Mother
All that I am , I owe to a Strength…Father
(footnote: She would , however, chastise me for being immodest in praising her so ; Mom was and taught us to be modest and honest to a fault; I’ve tried to learn how to not quite take it to a fault, so I praise her honestly here)
( Dad used to say Mom spoke in footnotes; SMILES )
She and Dad did a tremendous job in raising Phillip and Beverly ! Phil is my Super Star in caring for others. Bev is a True 21st Century Daughter of Cordelia ; true daughter of our Cordelia Grandmothers, Mom’s mother and Great-grandmother.
Thank you to Bev for putting together these perfect celebrations, Memorial now and Birthday last November.
Mom’s sister Mary DeHaven, Bunny, was her Soulmate in Life , and a second mother to we children. We were so proud of her Prima Ballerina artistry, bon vivant style, and loved to visit her in the Big Apple, New York City.
Mom really achieved the women’s movement 20th Century ideal of both mother and a careerist . She taught Headstart pre-school and Bi-lingual education . The latter because she had gone to school in Mexico , becoming fluent in Spanish. She had a college degree in French, graduate work in Spanish, and a graduate degree in education. Our house at 1365 is filled with her books, research documents and notebooks.
She was once called the Conscience and Grandmother of Lafayette Park. She was one of the Consciences of America.
My philosophy is to practice Filial Piety and Ancestor Veneration, practicing a moral life as I learned from my mothers and fathers . In obedience to the Biblical Commandment I promise to “Honor my father and mother, so that I may live long in the land the LORD my God is giving me,”
And thereby, MOM LIVES ! For I am Cordelia, Phil is Cordelia, Bev is Cordelia….and all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren are CORDELIA ELIZABETH HINKSON BROWN, BETTY BROWN, BET , MOM !
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