Tonia W. Brown passed away December 24, 2015 after a long illness. She was born and raised in Ohio. She was predeceased by her parents, Roy and Eileen Warner of Delta, Ohio and later Baldwin, Michigan. She is survived by her two loving daughters; Kristin Jones and husband Alan of Charlottesville, and Julie Swain, husband Stephen and her granddaughter Aubrey Swain of Virginia Beach. She is also survived by her good friend Rhoda Stillman, her former husband Ron Brown, and her sister, Nan McFellin and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Toni was a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan College and received a masters degree from Old Dominion University in Community Health Education. After raising two daughters, she started a long career in the non-profit world. She was the Regional Director for the American Lung Association of Virginia in Norfolk and the Associate Director of the American Lung Association in Northern Virginia and was instrumental in developing legislation and lobbying congress to vote to eliminate smoking in restaurants in the state of Virginia. She also worked for the Virginia Beach Health Department’s “Every Woman’s Life” Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.
Toni enjoyed traveling around the world. She lived and worked in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire in Africa and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Prior to her illness she wrote, “I must be the luckiest person in the world – great kids, family and friends and a fascinating, happy life”. Toni loved people, traveling and music of all types. She made friends around the world and will be missed.
The family will receive friends at the home of The Swain’s on Saturday, January 9, 2016 from 2 – 4PM. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in her name to Virginia Beach CASA, a local non-profit which provides support to abused and neglected children of Virginia Beach www.virginiabeachcasa.org.
Condolences may be shared with the family at www.altmeyerfh.com.
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