Darlene M. Cameron Brown

June 12, 1948 - February 16, 2020

Darlene Marie Cameron Brown passed away peacefully Sunday at her home in Benicia with her family by her side. She was 71 years old. Darlene was born and raised in Vallejo, where her father worked at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Her mother was also a native of Vallejo, where she had a large extended family. Darlene graduated from Vallejo High School and then attended Solano Community College. She also worked several administrative jobs, eventually following in the footsteps of her father and many of her friends and acquaintances at the shipyard. It was there that she met Kelley Brown, who was on active duty in the U S Navy, and who would marry her in 1978 and be the love of her life. After Kelley’s discharge, Darlene moved her young family and settled in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where she lived for thirty years before returning to Benicia. Darlene was known for her quick wit, her creativity, her friendliness, and her fierce loyalty to those she loved. She devoted much of her energy to raising her two sons, Michael and Jeremy, volunteered for several organizations, and, in her free time, pursued interests in art, various crafts, gardening, and antiques. After her sons reached adulthood, Darlene returned to college, earning a BA and an MA from Dallas Baptist University, and regularly watched her oldest grandchild Patrick. In 2004, she suffered a debilitating stroke, which limited her mobility, though she continued to deliver sharp one-liners and to gush over her grandchildren. For the final 16 years of her life, Kelley was by her side almost constantly, and she passed away on the 44th anniversary of their first meeting. Darlene is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Mary Cameron, and her brother, John Cameron. Darlene is survived by her husband, Kelley, her sons, Patrick Michael (Sue) Northrip and Jeremy (Maryam) Brown, grandchildren Patrick and Hattie Northrip and Reza and Mina Brown, brother Tim (Denise) Cameron, and several nieces and nephews. Her family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m., Saturday at St. Peter’s Chapel, 1181 Walnut Avenue, Vallejo followed by burial at St. Dominic’s Cemetery.