Mary Alice Brown

On Sunday, February 16, 2025, Mary Alice Dickey Brown peacefully passed away at home in Freeport, Florida after a long and courageous battle with illness. Born to Manuel and Elmer Dickey on November 3, 1933, in Freeport, she spent her entire life in the place she cherished. Mary Alice attended Freeport Elementary and Walton schools and was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church of Freeport, where her faith was a constant guide. 

Mary Alice had a rare gift for bringing joy to those around her. Whether it was the homemade wine she crafted with love or the pickles she made from scratch, everything she touched was infused with care and tradition. Yet, it was the act of sharing these creations that brought her the most happiness, offering a plate or a moment of hospitality to anyone who visited. 

Her family will forever remember her deep bond with her sisters – the hours spent talking and laughing, the comfort of their shared stories. She also found peace in the simple joys of life, from fishing on Alligator Alley to her quiet love for the Lord. She often reassured her daughter-in-law with the words, “Yes, I love Jesus,” and, to her son, Tom, she’d lovingly say, “Keep that. Don’t throw it away, we may need it, and it’s also old.” These small moments now live as treasured memories, reminders of her gentle wisdom. 

Mary Alice’s heart danced to the rhythm of bluegrass music, her high tenor voice lifting with every familiar song. She found solace in the simple pleasures - collecting shells from Marco Island, tending to her garden, crafting wood into treasures, and fishing with a spirit full of contentment. Some of her happiest moments were spent in the shop with her son crafting birdhouses from humble wood, a peaceful joy that filled her heart.

She leaves behind her children Thomas Brown (Alisha) and Mary Evelyn Dunaway, her brother Roy Dickey (Kuni), her sisters Ina Mae Marler (John) and Catherine Cleveland, along with eight grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. 

She has been reunited with her beloved husband of 52 years, Blain James “Lucky” Brown; her daughter Donna Ware; her parents Manuel and Elmer Dickey, three brothers, and five sisters.

Mary Alice will be remembered not only for the roles she played in life but for the quiet grace with which she lived them. As a mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, she radiated love, faith, and joy – a legacy that will forever live on in the hearts of those who were blessed to know her.