Mary Lillian Brown (Arseneault), 86, of Millis, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on November 15, 2025. She was born to Thomas Henry and Marie Lena Arseneault in Norwich, Connecticut, on October 22, 1939.
Lillian had a happy childhood with her brother Arnie and three foster brothers, Peter, Paul and Tony in Occum, Connecticut. She graduated from Academy of the Holy Family in Baltic before moving to Fitchville in 1960 after marrying Walter Earl Brown, Jr. on her 21st birthday. In Fitchville, Lillian and Walter raised two children, Erin and Wayne, before starting a new chapter in their lives by moving to Rhode Island in 1984. Thereafter, Lillian and Walter lived in Jamestown and Narragansett before settling in Charlestown in 1994 where they lived until Walter passed away in 2013. After Walter’s passing, Lillian had to adjust to living on her own for the first time at age 74. She first lived in Newport before moving to Millis, Massachusetts, to be closer to her daughter. In her later years, she was steadfast in her desire to live independently and to stay active, and that she did. She successfully maintained her own apartment in Millis up until just a few months prior to her passing, and at age 85, she even had the courage to travel to Germany to spend Christmas with Wayne, who lives in Saxony.
In addition to raising two children, Lillian worked for Fleet Bank for many years and for the University of Rhode Island as an Executive Assistant for almost 20 years, a role for which she was very proud. She was very adept at arts and crafts and loved to decorate her home for every season and holiday, saying often “If it doesn’t move, I’ll decorate it!”. She loved nature and animals, setting an example of kindness and care for the multiple cats and dogs (not to mention fish, Guinea pigs, and a hamster) in the household. She was a great cook, who somehow could prepare an entire Thanksgiving dinner for the extended family by herself (she wouldn’t have it any other way). Especially in her later years, she enjoyed listening to Neil Diamond, Josh Groban & Andrea Bocelli and watching game shows. Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy were her favorites.
She was the glue that held the Brown family together through thick and thin. She was loved and will be missed by many.
She is survived by her two children, Erin (Via) and Wayne and her two grandchildren: Sydney and Juliet.
She will be laid to rest in a private ceremony at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Norwich, Connecticut.