Mary “Molly” Jones Brown, who co-founded the nationally recognized Roots and Shoots Garden at Waddell Elementary School in Lexington in 1995 with her husband, Dirck Brown, passed away May 26, 2024.

Mrs. Brown believed in the importance of civic engagement. The Browns moved to Lexington in 1992 and became active in the community. In addition to founding the Roots and Shoots learning garden, they helped found the Yellow Brick Road Early Learning Center and were active members of the Grace Episcopal Church. They loved Lexington with its beautiful setting amongst the Blue Ridge Mountains and enjoyed the cultural offerings of Washington and Lee University, the Virginia Military Institute and other local organizations.

Mrs. Brown was born on April 6, 1928, in Newark, Ohio. She was raised in Newark by her parents, entrepreneur and naturalist Clarence R. Jones and the renown artist and illustrator Mary Sherwood Wright Jones. She graduated from Kingswood Cranbrook School, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., in 1946 and from Denison University, Granville, Ohio, in 1950. She pursued a lifelong interest in sharing her deep joy in nature’s wonders with current and future generations.

Over the nearly 30 years that the Roots and Shoots Garden has been in place, generations of families have participated in the volunteer-run program designed to offer hands-on experiences that interweave the natural world with music, art, math, literature, poetry and history. Dispelling the mystery of where food comes with seasonal plantings of vegetables and herbs, children are encouraged to experience selfreliance, one of Mrs. Brown’s core values.

The Browns, high school sweathearts, were married on June 5, 1951. She created homes for their family which grew to four daughters across the United States. First in New York City, N.Y., and later as her husband’s work in academia took them to different cities including Iowa City, Iowa, Denver, Colo., Chevy Chase, Md,; and Palo Alto, Calif. After Mr. Brown retired, they moved to Orient Point, N.Y., before settling in Lexington. In each of the diverse locations, Mrs. Brown followed her curiosity and delight in exploring the local history and natural environment.

She is survived by her daughters, Julia Winser Fiorino, Anne Sherwood Pundyk, Mary Brown and Jeanne Dexter; four grandchildren, Phoebe Pundyk, Olivia Brantner, Evan Pundyk and Marielle Fiorino; a niece, Kathleen Kennedy; and a nephew, Michael Kennedy.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Waddell Elementary School Roots & Shoots Garden Fund, 100 Pendleton Place, Lexington, VA 24450 or Yellow Brick Road Early Learning Center, 123 W. Washington St., Lexington, VA 24450.