The city of Sedona’s first employee, Marie Angela Brown, died Saturday, May 10, at age 81.

Marie was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1943. In June 1987, Brown moved with her husband James T. Brown and family to what was not yet Sedona — a place where they had owned property since 1977. Brown soon became an active member of the community, collaborating with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns to campaign for incorporation.

In February 1988, just a month after Sedona was officially incorporated, Brown was hired as the city clerk, the city’s first employee. Brown’s first task as a city employee was writing letters to all of the applicants who didn’t get her job. While leafing through the applications, she became amazed that the city hired her, Brown said in a 2007 interview. She didn’t have any experience in city government, while many of the other applicants did.

The city was run during its first four months by an appointed provisional council, with Brown running the City Council’s first public election in May 1988. She aided in forming the Planning and Zoning Commission and developing community programs and holiday events for Easter, Memorial Day and Christmas, and also helped create the Parks and Recreation Department and Sedona trail systems.

Brown retired in 2007 as director of Community Services. Afterward, Brown volunteered with the Sedona Volunteer Park Rangers, Sedona Community Center Meal Programs, Friends of the Library, Toys for Tots, Sedona Community Supper and with St. John Vianney’s music ministry and the local chapter of Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Brown was predeceased by her husband and her sister Nancy Cesarani. She is survived by her sons, Sean and Billy Harvey. A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 30, at 10 a.m. at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 180 St. John Vianney Lane, Sedona.

Remembrances

■ “She showed up prepared from the first day forward,” wrote Sandy Moriarty, a member of the provisional council in 1988 and mayor from 2014 to 2022. “She kept thorough records of all the council meetings, which were held in hotel ballrooms, until a permanent meeting room was rented. I was honored to be one member of that group, and June Cornelison was the first mayor, chosen by the council members.”

“I don’t know how we would have functioned without Marie,” Moriarty wrote. “Frankly, none of us knew what we were doing, but somehow Marie figured out what the job of the city clerk was, and how the city needed to function. She did a magnificent job of keeping the minutes and distributing them to council members as we moved from place to place. We were all quite dependent on her. I am saddened to learn of her passing and extend heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.”

■ Ruth “Pud” Colquitt, Sedona’s mayor from 2004 to 2008 and a councilwoman until 2010, attributed her mayoral achievements to Brown.

“She’s helped me become the mayor,” Colquitt said in 2007. Colquitt said she didn’t have any previous experience as mayor when elected and relied on Brown. “I treasure her counsel very, very much,” Colquitt said in 2007. “She’s kind of like the heart of the city.”

Colquitt said Brown also possessed a willingness to help others and answer questions.

“Marie was essentially in charge of all departments upon incorporation and extremely involved with Sedona development of Park and Recreation and trails,” Colquitt wrote on May 17, when informed of Brown’s death. “She worked very closely with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns with Sedona actually becoming incorporated. She, along with former Mayor Ivan Finley, basically saved the property that is Posse Grounds Park from private hands.”

Finley was elected to council in 1992 and was chosen by his colleagues to serve as vice mayor in 1994 and as mayor from 1996 to 1998.

“Sedona City Council back then met in a small business complex on Southwest Drive, and she joked about hanging her coat on a nail on the back of her door,” Colquitt wrote. “She was a wealth of knowledge about the history of Sedona. I am sure there is much more. We joked how the newer councils, and especially the current one, have directors, deputy directors and assistant directors — the comment was always that she just hired good people and let them do their jobs. She wore many, many hats. If you had a question, you just asked Marie.

“Basically, Marie was extremely instrumental with the beginning organization of Sedona actually becoming an incorporated entity, having to work with two counties and the state of Arizona.”

■ “Marie was one of the most dedicated individuals I have worked with,” wrote Eric Levitt, Sedona city manager from 2001 to 2008.

“She was always looking for ways to work with the community and continue to improve the quality of life in Sedona. During my tenure as city manager in Sedona, I relied on Marie not only as a quality a department head but she also was very caring and I appreciated the value she brought to Sedona as well as being fortunate to work with her for many years. I believe this is a huge loss to her friends and people who have known her over the years.”

■ “Marie was a leader and city of Sedona icon,” wrote John O’Brien, who was Community Development Director from incorporation in 1988 until his retirement in 2012. “She had endless energy, a fun sense of humor and a quick wit and was on top of absolutely everything that came her way. She worked tirelessly for our community for many years as city clerk, Parks and Recreation director and later as Community Services director.”

“Marie became the city of Sedona’s first employee after Sedona’s incorporation,” O’Brien added. “I was Sedona’s seventh employee and Marie would always joke with me that she was No. 1 and I could never catch her. She will be sorely missed.”

■ “Marie touched the lives of so many here at St. Vincent de Paul and across Sedona with her abundant gentleness, kindness and compassion,” Society of St. Vincent de Paul St. John Vianney Conference President John Moorman wrote. “She had a special place in her heart for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the way its work touched the lives not only of the people it served but also of those who committed themselves to the mission and to one another. For this and the legacy she has left all of us, we are profoundly grateful.”

■ “Marie had a truly remarkable gift: She never forgot a name,” St. Vincent de Paul pantry volunteer Maureen Koza wrote. “Each time someone visited the St. Vincent de Paul pantry, she greeted them by their first name, as though welcoming a longtime friend. Her warm and personal approach left a lasting impression on our team and has since become a cherished tradition embraced by all our volunteers. With her radiant smile and kind words, she brought joy to both visitors and volunteers alike.”

Client services office hours coincide with the pantry hours on Thursdays, Koza wrote, adding that “Marie often stood outside my office, giving me a ringside view of her warm approach.”

■ “Marie Brown loved Sedona. She demonstrated that love by serving the community,” wrote Michele Zahner, who worked with Brown as a Sedona volunteer park panger. “She signed up to be one of the Park and Rec’s rangers, patrolling Uptown and answering visitors’ questions. She loved Barbara’s Park and dedicated a tree at its entrance. Marie’s enthusiasm and love of this city was contagious.”

■ “Marie Brown was an indispensable contact with Sedona Toys for Tots for the last 11 years,” former Toys for Tots leaders Karen and Leonard Barrow wrote jointly. “She was extremely organized and created a smooth working environment with everyone at St Vincent de Paul and Toys for Tots. She even let us store extra books and stuffed animals in her garage. St. Vincent de Paul would rent a U-Haul van to pick up the bags of toys and store them for distribution to the families they served. She really looked forward to serving the children in her community. Her gift of working with many people toward a common goal will be missed.”

■ “Marie Brown was a model to all of the volunteers at the Sedona Community Center,” volunteer Debby Losse wrote. “She gave generously of her time and energy to make the center prosper through her own philanthropic gifts. To those of us who volunteered serving lunch in the dining room, she was a friendly face who was always ready to lighten the atmosphere with a joke or a smile.

“She recruited me to serve lunch when I first moved to Sedona and for that, I am so thankful. She taught me what it is to bring smiles and service to the senior adults and others who dine regularly at the Community Center. Marie Brown was a true friend to the center, to the volunteers and to the dedicated staff. May her countless contributions to the functioning of the center be a source of inspiration to others. The kitchen staff at the Sedona Community Center always knew Marie by her catch phrase ‘Fuhgeddaboudit’ in her best New York accent.”

■ “I was always happy to see Marie on the day that she was scheduled to volunteer to serve lunch at SCC,” volunteer Diane Mikulovsky wrote. “Whenever she would walk in the kitchen we would always scream, ‘Marie! Fuhgeddaboudit!’”

“I would always have a book for her all about cats that I thought she’d like,” Mikulovsky wrote. “I love books and pets and so did she. She was always kind and caring to others and a crazy sense of humor. I have known her for 30 years and will miss her, but now I can always say ‘hello’ to her in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you, Marie, for all you did for the community and uplifting my spirit whenever I saw you.”

■ “I got to know Marie as a member of the board of directors at Sedona Community Center,” SCC Board member Piya Jacob wrote. “She was very astute in her thinking and shared lots of great ideas with us. She was generous with her time and money and supported the center in many ways. Marie believed that those who had been given a lot, a lot was expected of them. Not just in time, but with the treasure of one’s financial support and volunteerism. She has been a volunteer lunch server for many years and knew every guest by name. Marie will be missed by those who knew her and by those who didn’t know her but were impacted by her kind deeds in our community. If I were to sum up Marie’s impact on our community, I would say, she made a difference. She left her mark.”