Saurine Lotman Brown Obituary (2009)

On Friday, March 6, 2009, Saurine Lotman Brown, 80, died peacefully in her sleep at home in Mission Hills, KS. She is survived by her loving family, sister and brother-in-law Sondra and Richard Rosenthal, brother and sister-in-law Vernon and Kaye Lotman, son and daughter-in-law Richard and Anna Brown, (and their 4-month old son Theodore Eugene Brown), daughter and son-in-law Susan and Robert Thill, her nieces and nephews, Nancy Rosenthal, Robert and Jill Rosenthal, and grand nieces and nephews, Justin, Blake and Aubrey. Her husband, Eugene D. Brown, preceded Saurine in death. Saurine Lotman Brown, daughter of Edith and Louis Lotman was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, graduated from Lincoln High School and attended the University of Missouri, where she was a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority. Pretty and popular, Saurine was Homecoming Queen and Head Cheerleader. During college, she met the love of her life, the dashing Eugene D. Brown. Saurine married her sweetheart on New Year’s Eve, 1949 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The young couple moved to Garden City, Kansas and then on to Kansas City where they raised son Richard and daughter Susie. The Brown name became synonymous with real estate over the next three decades as her husband Gene prospered with Eugene D. Brown Realty. Saurine had an unquenchable thirst for life and for giving back to the community of which she was so proud. She was a true leader in Kansas City culture and the arts, serving in numerous executive capacities: Honorary Chairman Kansas City Ballet Ball and member of the Kansas City Ballet Guild, major benefactor to the Nelson-Atkins Gallery of Arts and member of the Society of Fellows, the Kaufman Center for the Performing Arts, patron and benefactor of the Jewel Ball, Charter member of the Women’s Foundation of Greater Kansas City, the Kansas City Philharmonic, the Symphony Women’s Alliance, Kemper Museum patron, UMKC Conservatory Board of Trustees, as well as a contributor to Wayside Waifs, the Miller Nichols Library, Kansas City Young Audiences, the American Jazz Museum, Lyric Opera, Jewish Federation, Ribbon of Hope, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Starlight Theater and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Saurine co-founded the Baccus Ball. Saurine cared about public health issues as well. She was President and board member of Menorah Medical Center. When its Plaza Campus closed, she was instrumental in assuring its continued existence. She was committed to the future development of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, volunteered at Children’s Mercy Hospital, Head Start and supported United Way, MOCSA, American Red Cross, United Cerebral Palsy and Children’s Place. She was a member of The New Reform Temple. Elegant, vibrant and graceful, Saurine Brown was the consummate life of the party. Her raison d’etre was simply to ensure that those who were fortunate enough to bask in her golden glow were happy. First on the dance floor or to sing around the piano, music helped her bridge generations. “I really dig this,” Saurine would often say with a radiant smile, no matter what the musical genre. Saurine’s sophisticated sense of style was unsurpassed. She was tastefully dressed for every occasion. She had a passion for creating a fashion look uniquely her own. Never having met a stranger, Saurine will be remembered as a beautiful woman, both inside and out. A private family burial is planned. A memorial celebration of Saurine L. Brown’s life will be held at The American Restaurant, 200 E. 25th St., Kansas City, MO, on Tuesday, March 10, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. A reception will be held immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memoriam to Saurine L. Brown to the KU Endowment, c/o KU Cancer Center, 3901 Rainbow, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, Kaufman Center for the Performing Arts, 906 Grand Avenue, Kansas City, MO, 64106, or The New Reform Temple, 7100 Main Street, Kansas City, MO, 64114.