Sylvia Brown (née Barnard) died peacefully on October 24, 2025, at home in Stonington, CT, her 2 beloved golden retrievers posted loyally at the foot of her bed. The cause of death was complications from a fall.
Born on July 31, 1942, to John L. Barnard and Diana K. Barnard, she enjoyed the adventurous life of a diplomat’s daughter, gallivanting from post to post with her sisters Daphne and Pamela. While living in Belgium, Sylvia learned fluent French under the tutelage of Mademoiselle Bosquet, who regularly replaced mathematics instruction with far-more-appealing conversations over tea. Was it immersion, or negligence? True, Sylvia’s math skills never took root. But her French never left her. She was quite pleased with that tradeoff to the end of her days.
Sylvia then attended the Madeira School, which she enjoyed immensely, although she could never quite bring herself to love equestrian pursuits, which undoubtedly was a blemish in those hallowed halls. From there, it was on to Briarcliff College, and soon thereafter, she met her husband Meredith Brown during a splendid summer in Stonington.
Married in 1965, the couple settled down in New York City, where Meredith practiced corporate law. Sylvia entered the work force too, as an assistant for the Office of Tibet, where, according to her accounts, her duties largely consisted of telling people that the Lama was not in.
In 1967, she became a full-time mother, and Tibet lost perhaps its greatest protector. Despite her focus on maternal duties, however, Sylvia still found time to pursue ballet at the Finis Jhung Studio. She also became an accomplished oil painter and a prize-winning writer, eventually gaining a Master of Arts from NYU.
Throughout all of her 53 years of marriage, the town of Stonington was always a presence in her life, and the family summered at “The Barn,” which, as its name suggests, had indeed been a working barn. By the time Sylvia was done with it, however, The Barn was transformed into a magnificent home for humans (and her succession of outstanding dogs). Upon retirement, the couple moved there, full time.
Always a lover of English gardens, Sylvia’s chief delight turned ever more towards creating the perfect landscape. Luckily, she found in Virginia Jason a woman who was up to realizing her vision. To this day, the gardens around The Barn are remarkable for their beauty and their elegance.
Throughout her life, she was a voracious reader, often consuming several books a week. She regularly participated in a Stonington book club, which she loved, although she was occasionally guilty of reading the books she wanted to read, as opposed to the ones agreed upon by the group.
During her later years in Stonington, Sylvia overcame breast cancer, but the chemotherapy left her hands too shaky to paint to her satisfaction, and she suffered immensely from watching her husband slip away with Alzheimer’s. But she never lost her love of conversation, of laughter, and of tea by the fire.
Sylvia is survived by her sister, Daphne Davis, her nieces, Pamela Owens, Alexa Pearson and Christina Ruzicka, her son, Mason Brown, and her grandchildren, John Brown and Alison Brown.
There will be small graveside service on Saturday, November 8, at 11 am at the Stonington Cemetery, 345 North Main Street, Stonington, followed by a reception in Mystic.