Ellen Garvin Brown

Ellen Garvin Brown, beloved wife, sister, aunt, educator, and artist, passed away on July 31, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of compassion, creativity, and a lifelong dedication to learning. Ellen was born on April 25, 1958 at Phoenixville Hospital and graduated from Phoenixville Area High School. She was an esteemed elementary school teacher for over 37 years for Abington School District, guiding generations of students with wisdom,warmth, and an unwavering commitment to their growth.

Mrs. Brown earned her Bachelor of Science in 1984 from the University of Philadelphia (Philadelphia Textile) and received her Master of Education from Chestnut Hill College in 1989. Her professional excellence was nationally recognized with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics in 1994. She further contributed to academic enrichment through her leadership in the Odyssey of the Mind program and as an Apex instructor. She served her faculty colleagues as a teacher union representative.

Ellen’s passions extended well beyond the classroom. A gifted textile artist, she held a solo exhibition of knit clothing, design, and paintings at the Ocean City Arts Center in 2020. Her artistic talent also found expression in floral arrangement, where she earned the Sweepstakes Award for Artistic Design at the Ocean City Flower Show in 2018, the Grand Award in 2022, multiple Walter Off Awards in 2018 and 2022, and Best in Show in 2022. She also received the Sandpiper Orchid Society Award in 2015 for her contributions to botanical design.

Her artistic vision reached into community culture as well—most notably through the Phoenixville Firebird Festival, for which she designed the logo, capturing the spirit of Phoenixville’s creative soul. A member of the Willowmere Homeowners Association Board, Ellen remained engaged with and dedicated to the well-being of her neighborhood. She was active in the children’s programs and community garden at Jarrettown United Methodist Chruch.

Ellen embraced life with energy and curiosity. She found joy in tennis, gardening, hiking, painting, knitting, and arranging flowers. Her love for language led her to study German, and she held deep connections to places that inspired her—Ocean City Boardwalk, Phoenixville, Nashville, Donegal, and London.

She is preceded in death by her parents Ellen Philomena Garvin and John Charles Garvin and is survived by her devoted husband, David; her brothers, Charles and James; and her sister, Anne. Ellen’s life was one of vibrant purpose, cultivated with grace and kindness. She will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

A Funeral Mass will be held in St. Ann Catholic Chapel, 604 Main Street, Phoenixville, PA on Saturday, August 9, 2025 at 1:00 pm. Burial will follow in St. Ann Cemetery.

Family and friends may call at the chapel on Saturday morning from 12:00 to 1:00 pm.

Visitation will be held in the Devlin- Gatcha Funeral Home, 517 S. Main Street, Phoenixville, PA on Friday, August 8, 2025 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.