Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan Mourns Loss of Sylvia Brown, a Founder and First Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) December 11, 2008 -- SOUTHFIELD, Mich – Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan (CLF) is saddened to announce the passing of Sylvia Brown, a founding member and first Executive Director, on November 30, 2008 at age 90. Sylvia Brown dedicated her life to establishing the non-profit, Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan, after the loss of one of her daughters to leukemia. Both Sylvia and her husband, the late Harry Brown, were among the founding members and Sylvia served as the first executive director.

Sylvia was the face of CLF from 1952 through her retirement in 1982 and was able to see her dream become a reality. With a great deal of personal and financial sacrifice, both Harry and Sylvia worked tirelessly to build an organization that would exist solely to help other Michigan families battling leukemia and lymphoma, so no family would ever have to face that battle alone again. “We had lost a little girl to Leukemia. I couldn’t let her die and not do something about it.” That simple and heartfelt statement from Sylvia Brown described the genesis of Sylvia’s life-long career and extraordinary volunteer and ambassador roles with Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan.

She retired in 1982, but remained active over the last 26-years, as a volunteer, life-time Advisory Board Member and full-time ambassador for the foundation. Sylvia was a role model and citizen ambassador, always eager to speak on behalf of the foundation. Her love of the foundation and the people who worked there, her energy and charisma will always be remembered. She often spoke of the thousands of children and families who have been provided for, comforted, and cherished by CLF over the years, as well as those who were yet to come as “all my children”.

In 2007, The Sylvia and Harry Brown Endowment Fund was instituted to honor its founders and forever ensure that Sylvia and Harry Brown will be associated with CLF. That same year, in September, a black-tie gala was held at The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham to publicly announce the endowment and honor Sylvia's work.

According to William Seklar, President and CEO of CLF, “57 years ago, Sylvia and Harry brought together other Detroit-area families that were all united by a common thread; the loss of a beloved family member stricken with leukemia, lymphoma or one of the other blood-related cancers, to start Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan. Their mission reating the foundation was to ensure that no Michigan family would ever have to walk the leukemia or lymphoma journey alone again. She will be profoundly missed by all of us here at the Foundation and by all the thousands of families in Michigan served by CLF.”

Anyone wishing to further honor the memory of Mrs. Brown may do so by making a contribution to the Harry and Sylvia Brown Endowment Fund, Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan, 29777 Telegraph Road, Suite 1651, Southfield, MI.

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