C. Kaye Brown

Clara Kaye Brown, 78, returned to her Heavenly Father on November 23, 2019, after a brief illness. 

Kaye was born July 8, 1941, in Salem, Idaho, to Frederick Amos Shirley and Clara Worlton Shirley.  She was the 8th child and the baby of the family. Kaye and her siblings all worked on the family farm in Salem to help their father after the death of her mother when Kaye was 2 years old.

She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and attended Sugar-Salem schools and graduated from Sugar-Salem High School in 1959. She then attended Ricks College in Rexburg, ID. She graduated from Clark Business School in Idaho Falls with an Associate Degree in Business Administration.

In 1963, Kaye married Larry E. Ritchie in Salem, Idaho. They were blessed with daughter, Tamra Kaye in 1964. The couple later divorced. In 1987, Kaye married Rex Albert Brown in Lake Tahoe, NV. Rex took great care of Kaye.  The couple enjoyed traveling, spending time at their cabin in Island Park, boating, fishing and snow machining. The couple took their miniature family poodle with them everywhere they went. 

Kaye had a strong work ethic and worked at the LDS Hospital from 1968 to 1979. She then worked in the GIS and mapping departments at EG&G from 1979 until she retired in 1999. After her retirement, Kaye enjoyed gardening and tending to her flowers and yard, and crafting with Tami and her nieces.

In 2010, Kaye began volunteering at EIRMC until 2019 and amassed 4562 hours in 8 years and 9 months of service to the people of the Idaho Falls area.

Kaye is survived by her daughter, Tami Egan (Tim) of Idaho Falls, ID; sister, Carol Parkinson (Max, deceased) of Plano, ID; brother, James F. Shirley (Doris, deceased) of Rexburg, ID; brother, Val G. Shirley (Bonnie) of Pleasant Grove, UT; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Rex; her parents, Frederick and Clara; her eldest brother, Gordon; and her sisters, Afton, Lola, and Audrey.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 30, 2019, at the Plano Cemetery.  The family will visit with friends Saturday from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the Plano Ward Building (5973 N. 500 W., Rexburg, ID). Burial will be in the Plano Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to "Look Good Feel Better;" c/o EIRMC Auxiliary, Cancer Research Center, 3100 Channing Way, Idaho Falls, ID 83404.  In addition to cash, the program can accept items to directly help patients, please see: https//eirmc.com/about/volunteer/donation-list.dot.

Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.woodfuneralhome.com.