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Obituary for Alva Rose Brown
In the early-morning hours of December 12th, just three days after her 78th birthday, Alva Rose Brown, of Plymouth, slipped the surly bonds of earth and entered into the presence of her glorious Savior, Jesus Christ. In the final hours before her passing, her cardiologist, Dr. John Vavalle of Chapel Hill, told her that she had touched the lives of many on the UNC medical staff.
Dr. Vavalle's words proved percipient, because if anything epitomized her life, it was that Alva Rose touched lives. An accomplished musician who loved classical music, Alva Rose taught piano lessons to hundreds of students over the course of nearly fifty years, and loved them all. She also loved her church, the First Christian Church of Plymouth, where she joyfully served as organist from a period of time spanning the mid 1960s until only a few years before her death, having stepped down for health reasons. She impacted thousands of lives, spreading her love of music and her love for people.
The daughter of Arthur and Marina Hardison, Alva Rose was born on December 9, 1937 and grew up in Plymouth during the war years. As a girl, she took piano lessons and quickly excelled. At age 16, she was asked to do an hour-long classical concert, live on WNCT-TV in Greenville.
She loved Plymouth, and after graduating from Plymouth High School and attending Atlantic Christian (now Barton) College, she returned to Plymouth to raise her family and play for hundreds of weddings and funerals, and direct dozens of piano recitals.
She is survived by her husband, Don Brown, Sr. of Plymouth; three children - Don Brown, Jr. of Charlotte, Sharon Brown of Plymouth, Amy Brown Swain of Plymouth and her son-in-law, Darrell Swain of Plymouth; seven grandchildren - Amanda Swain of Plymouth and husband Josh, Mary Claire Brown of Charlotte, Heather Alexander of Creswell and husband James, Adam Swain of Charlotte, Caroline Mitchell Brown of Charlotte, Whitney Swain of Plymouth and Graham Hardison Brown of Charlotte; and five great grandchildren - Nathan Hopkins of Plymouth, Jaylyn Alexander, Jamie Alexander and Silas Alexander of Creswell and Jacob Swain of Plymouth.
Visitation will be 6:00 PM, Monday, December 14, at the First Christian Church of Plymouth.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 PM Tuesday, December 15th at First Christian Church, Reverend V. Tom Banks officiating, along with Nyal Watson, choir director and Mark Sexton, organist. Arrangements are by Maitland Funeral Home of Plymouth. Interment to follow at Hillside Memorial Gardens. Flowers are welcome, but alternatively, contributions may be made to the Marina R. Hardison Scholarship Fund at Barton College in Wilson. Family will gather at the home of Amy Swain in Plymouth.
Alva Rose was dearly loved by her family and will be sorely missed, but will continue to touch lives for years to come.
