Ms. Philippa BrownMs. Philippa “Phil” Brown was born and raised in Grassland, Virginia along with seven siblings. Phil, along with her brothers and sisters were very helpful with their parents’ country store and post office. After graduating from Unionville High School in 1937, Phil moved to Hampton, Virginia with a family member in hopes to find a job.

She was 19 years old and working at a department store when she met the love of her life, Kenneth Brown. Kenneth worked for NASA and shortly after they married, Phil landed a job as a NASA mathematical technician. She served her entire career with the space agency.

In 1983, shortly after her husband passed, Phil moved back to Unionville to buy her family’s home where she would remain until moving to Dogwood Village. Phil has overcome many obstacles in the past 20 years to include multiple broken bones, limited vision, and hearing. She shares that she has always had a purpose in life and knowing that all of life is best lived with purpose has kept her going for 102 years.

Today, Phil enjoys playing bridge, arts/crafts, baking, and visiting other residents. Mrs. Brown recently assisted with a fundraising effort with the Red Nose Day National Program to raise money to promote awareness about child poverty and is pictured with Marleigh Jean Gore.

Mrs. Brown shared that some of the greatest accomplishment in her life have been traveling to every state in the United States and working for the Mathematical Division Chief at NASA.

Dogwood Village of Orange County

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