Prescott native leaves legacy in Rockford, Illinois
ROCKFORD, IL – A Prescott native, who as a child, moved with her family from Nevada County to Rockford, Illinois is being remembered in that city for the impact she made. Janice Marie Brown, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at the age of 76, surrounded by her loving family after a long illness.
Janice made history as the first African American employee of the Rockford Fire Department, where “she dedicated 33 years of her life to serving the community with pride and unwavering commitment as Senior Clerk in the Fire Prevention division. Even after her retirement, her commitment to service continued with 13 years as a Telecommunications Specialist at Rockford University.”
According to an article by Jeff Kolkey in the Rockford Register Star, after she died, her niece, Alderwoman Gabrielle Torina, found among her possessions a key to the city awarded to her aunt when she retired. Torina never even knew her aunt had one. “Aunt Jan never even talked about this stuff, and it’s because it wasn’t important to her,” Torina said. “Her legacy is literally of love and kindness and laughter and generosity. That’s what was important to her. And that’s what everyone says about her. To me, it brought things into perspective. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
Born on May 28, 1948, in Prescott, Arkansas, Janice was the daughter of the late Rev. Samuel Brown and Irene Brown. Funeral services were Saturday in Rockford.