Mary Ann Eckert Brown

Called Mimi within the family, Mary Ann Eckert was born in Norristown, PA on September 12, 1948, the eldest of Dorothy (née Fennelly) and John Eckert’s 6 children. She spoke often of a joyful childhood surrounded by her siblings, many (MANY!) cousins, aunts, uncles, and her maternal grandfather.

Despite growing up prior to the enactment of Title IX, Mimi loved sports. She played basketball during her time at Bishop Kenrick High School (Class of 1966) and was a member of Villanova University’s (Class of 1970) first women’s basketball team. She loved watching the Wildcats and often noted that the women had come a long way from her days playing in Jake Nevin Fieldhouse.

Following her graduation from Villanova with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, Mimi served the United States Navy at St. Albans Naval Hospital in Queens prior to working at two of the premiere hospitals in the country, Johns Hopkins and Massachusettes General, in the pediatric ICU. While at Hopkins, she earned her Master's Degree and continued to defy convention through her 12-year interracial marriage only 7 years after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Loving v. Virginia.

Prior to the birth of her eldest daughter, Lauren, Mimi transitioned to school nursing, spending nearly 30 years in the Upper Darby School District in order to better align her schedule with that of her children’s. An extremely devoted mother, Mimi’s example and encouragement of her girls to follow their bliss resulted in her attending numerous sporting events and theatrical productions and also inspired her daughters to enter competitive professional fields, without any questioning or fear (and that those careers reflect some of Mimi’s interests serves as evidence that we all, eventually, turn into our parents!).

Despite being a bit of a homebody, Mimi also loved to travel and learn. From trips abroad during her time in the Navy (Mimi encouraged everyone to see The Alhambra), to road trips with her daughters to visit loved ones throughout the country, Mimi recognized that every place had something interesting to offer. Even into her retirement Mimi’s passport received a workout, having traveled with family (and occasionally Lauren’s students) to Rome, Florence, Venice, Stockholm, Torino, Lausanne, Montreal, Barcelona, Oxford, London, and Edinburgh between 2012 and 2023. Every trip was just a little different and she thoroughly enjoyed them all.

Mimi often commented on how blessed she was because of the people and places who were part of her journey. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Dorothy Eckert, her brother John Eckert, and brother-in-law Peter Foley. Mimi is survived by her daughters Lauren and Carey Brown; siblings Susan Foley, Paul Eckert, Gregory Eckert, and Louise Eckert; her sister-in-law Kathleen Dapkus; her niece Kathleen Foley; nephews Daniel Foley, Gareth Eckert, and Hadden Eckert; her beloved “cousins by the dozens”; and a wonderful group of dear friends and extended family.

Mimi would want folks to know that she lived a good life in every sense of the word, but we believe that she lived an extraordinary one, quietly defying problematic, “traditional” norms while sharing her love and gifts with so many along the way. How lucky we are that she shared her journey with us.