Sally Lou (Few) Brown

With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of our loving Mom, sister, aunt, and “Grandma” – Sally Lou (Few) Brown. Sally put her family at the forefront in her life (just behind God and Jesus). Gifted with 89 years on this earth, she lived a wonderful life.  Born in Luling, Texas, the second child of T.I. (“Cotton”) and Florine Few, she was a Luling Eagles cheerleader throughout high school (Class of 1954) and married her high school sweetheart, Vic (“Dickie”) Brown in 1955. They moved to Gonzales a few years later and built their life here.

At the ripe old age of 20, she became a Mom. Like many, she never worked “outside the home”, but she was the CEO of the Brown household her entire life. She took up golf and tennis in Gonzales as a way to meet new friends and cultivate hobbies. She enjoyed both, but never neglected her commitments to serve as a Scout leader or attend a sporting event, PTO meeting, or other performance that involved her children. She was a member of the Gonzales Women’s Golf Association, served as President, and developed cherished, life-long friendships there. She also enjoyed participating in the Spade & Trowel Garden Club where she honed her creative skills at their annual flower show, winning several awards, and put her love of flowers and gardening to work in her own backyard.  She found a new passion and joy later in her life while volunteering with the Gonzales Hospital Auxiliary. She was President for several years, and even after she was no longer active, she always stopped by the Auxiliary gift shop to support their efforts when she was at the hospital.

She dearly loved coffee and conversation with friends, first in their homes when the kids were young, then through bridge groups and birthday club celebrations or at one of the weekly “Taco Tuesday” gatherings, for which she often operated a “taxi” service. On weekends and vacations, she and Vic loved to get in their convertible and travel the Texas backroads or take the family’s suburban for longer stays that required golf clubs, beach equipment, or snow gear. They enjoyed seeing many states and national parks, Vic always keeping his Atlas close at hand and jotting their journeys down on a US Map they kept in their home.

While it is generally accepted by her family that she left us on February 12, 2025 to be with Vic, her husband of 67 years, for Valentine’s Day, it should be noted that Sally celebrated all holidays and occasions with fervor. No party detail was too small. If possible, she would have even scheduled the weather.

Holiday and family gatherings filled her heart and soul. Easter involved large, extended family groups for lunch with Easter egg hunts for the kids, grandkids, and eventually great-grandkids, in the backyard; July 4^th often meant a trip to Rockport to watch the fireworks over Little Bay. Many a Halloween Sally donned a witch’s hat and passed out enough candy to treat kids in a tri-county area; and Thanksgiving usually involved turkey, dressing, and all of the trimmings plus ham, deviled eggs and at least one dessert. Sally and Vic’s manicured backyard was the site of numerous barbeques, parties, and get-togethers over the years.

But Christmas was when Sally was in full hostess mode. The decorated exterior of the house on Fair Street may have won awards over time, but it was the interior where everything truly sparkled. Family and neighbors would begin arriving early on Christmas mornings for Sally’s breakfast bites, coffee/juice, and her legendary eggnog. There was no “official” recipe for her eggnog, making it hard to replicate, but it was a heavenly concoction of eggnog, Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and bourbon (in varying quantities). Texas weather permitting, a fire roared in the fireplace, an ever-growing number of stockings hung by the fireplace with care, Christmas carols filled the air, and every nook and cranny was decorated for Santa’s arrival, highlighted by her Christmas tree and snow village collection -- that took a week to decorate and nearly as long to undecorate!  The traditional meal (followed by a birthday cake for Jesus) was sometimes interrupted by waves of kids, grandkids, and great grandkids opening presents. But as things wound down in the evenings, Sally would often suggest that next year’s celebration should be moved to the “snow country,” Red River, New Mexico, a place she loved.

No doubt Vic, along with his dad, Victor Earl Brown, Sr. and his wife Nell, Sally’s parents T.I. (“Cotton”) and Florine (“Ammie”) Few, and close friends like the Johnsons, the Witts, the Wilsons, the Munsons, the Ploetzes, Otto Gindler, and others will be waiting at the Pearly Gates for Sally’s arrival. While their time in heaven has no doubt been incredible thus far, more than one of them, upon seeing Sally pass through, will likely be thinking, “Now we can get this party started.” Sally will probably be wondering if she can schedule a light snowfall next December 25^th.

Sally was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Vic, she is survived by two children: Vicki Ainsworth (Price) and Victor E. Brown, III (“Bruddy”) (Debby); four grandchildren: Parker Ainsworth (Rachel), Colin Ainsworth, Tyler Brown (Lauren), and Brooke Jackson (Quantaa), five great-grandchildren: Brealyn Brown, Cavan Smith, Drake Jackson, Brady Brown, and Lyndon Ainsworth; sisters: Betty Flo Pavlich and Susan Etheredge (“Cotton”) and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend a special thanks the caregivers who helped Sally and Vic over the years: Susie Martinez, Natalie Eureste, Mary Rangel, and Shelby Molina, as well as the family at the Methodist Church of Gonzales who so steadfastly serve its elderly members who are homebound. Sally had a friendly visit from the communion team just last week and always appreciated it.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the First Methodist Church of Gonzales or to St. Jude’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.

The family will receive friends from 9 am to 10 am Monday, February 17, 2025 in the First Methodist Church of Gonzales. A funeral service will follow at 10 am in the Church with Rev. Dr. Matt Pennington officiating. Interment will be held in the Luling City Cemetery. Pallbearers: Scott Patterson, Johnny Gonzales, Phil Pavlich, Chris Brown, Matt Brown, Parker Ainsworth, Colin Ainsworth, Tyler Brown, and Quantaa Jackson.

Friends may leave their condolences to the family by visiting www.seydlerhillfuneralhome.com. Services are under the care and direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home.