Marissa Grace Browne, local resident of Coopersburg, passed away Sunday May 10th 2020 from the coronavirus Covid-19 at Grandview Hospital, she was 61 years old.  Marissa was a beloved sister; aunt; godmother; cousin; life partner; friend and will be deeply missed by everyone who had come to know her.

Marissa Grace "Maris" was born on June 12th, 1958 to her late parents Warren & Eileen Browne.  She has two older sisters: Carol Overholt & Christine Benson.  For the next nine years they lived on Annapolis Road in Philadelphia, they moved to their new house in North Wales in 1967.  Marissa went to St. Stanislaus in Lansdale for grade school then graduated from North Penn High School in 1976.  While growing up in Lansdale Marissa & her sister Christine liked to shop at Woolworths and go to the Lansdale movie house.  When she was 15 she got her first summer job working at the West Point Amusement Park at the food stand.  Marissa was musically talented playing the Harpsichord her father had built her.  Her other hobbies include: bike riding, macrame, painting and doing puzzles.  Her childhood best friend was Sharon Kinslow of North Wales and they have been friends ever since.  After graduating from North Penn, Marissa attended Roosevelt University where she graduated with honors and a B.A in Sociology & Psychology, 1980.  Marissa also attended The University of North Carolina graduating with a M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling, 1982. Along with her formal education she has earned numerous licenses & certifications including Certified Criminal Justice Professional.  Marissa was dedicated to continuing her education focusing on areas including: chemical dependency; abuse; specific disorders such as OCD, CBT & personality disorders; group, family, and individual therapy and cultural sensitivity.  To say Marissa valued education was an understatement.

After graduating college she placed herself in AA and was 37 years sober when she passed.  Her motivation to stay sober was a belief in a higher power that she could rely on. It was that decision & her personal experience with addiction that led her to her passion, to work in the social field as an Addiction Counselor which she did for the remainder of her life.  She related to people with addictions because of her own struggles with alcoholism and she cared very deeply for them, that was her motivation for her career.  Marissa began working in her field as soon as she graduated from UNC at the Lenape Valley Foundation (Moss Rehab) in Doylestown, PA as a Vocational Counselor where she established a newly formed vocational program & had clients from the Bucks County Correctional Facility.  She then worked at Aldie Counseling Center in Doylestown as a counselor/therapist where she worked with clients of all ages.  Marissa then worked at Eagleville Hospital in Eagleville, PA as a Psychotherapist for 9 years.  She became the Clinical Director at Renewal Centers in Quakertown where she worked with her staff to establish a training program.  She worked as the Pain Management Program Counselor & Coordinator at Summit Oaks Hospital in Summit, NJ, where she set up & initiated their Pain Management Program.  Marissa also worked at New Carson Valley as a Children's Aide in Lansdale, PA where she provided counseling & case management services in the home for children.  Working at the Valley Forge Medical Center in Valley Forge was one of the last places she worked and where she had made the biggest impact on her fellow co-workers.  She met colleague Susan and they became dear friends, getting together after work.  They would go to Fitzwater Station the first Wednesday of the month. It was all you can eat shrimp and oldtimey music. People would just bring their instruments & play and that was everything Marissa enjoyed.  Marissa & Susan even won a Halloween costume contest one year where they were hillbillies in a jug band with of course Marissa playing the banjo.  Marissa enjoyed life and knew when to act silly & have fun.  Marissa had achieved something very few people do in their entire lives, her passion was her career and she was doing what she loved.  She really cared about people and she dedicated her life to help them.

It was not all work for Marissa, she had two nieces: Nicole Krauch & June Benson and a nephew, Michael Benson (also her Godson) to watch grow up & be a part of their lives.  Never having married, Marissa did not have children of her own but she doted on her nieces and nephew like they were.  She enjoyed every aspect of being an Aunt & Godmother except for changing diapers, which she would try to avoid doing as often as possible.  The other parts were more her style & spoke more to her creative side.  Marissa would dye Easter eggs with her niece & nephew, make Gingerbread houses, carve pumpkins for Halloween and they would decorate her parents (grandparents to June & Michael) Christmas Tree.  Her niece & nephew knew how special they were in their Aunt Marissa's eyes and loved her very much.  Marissa would take her niece & nephew to experience new things: bike riding on trails; skiing; hiking; trips to Hershey Park and Dorney Park.  Her Godson, Michael, was unable to ski so she took him whitewater rafting as something just the two of them could do together. Michael recalls that to be one of his favorite memories because "she never gave up on wanting to do something together, on making me feel special."  Her niece, June, was very involved in acting and singing in Philadelphia and Marissa was right there cheering her on. Marissa even drove out to the neighborhood of Kensington Philadelphia, dragging her life partner Steve with her, to watch her perform on stage with the theatre company she was in.  June knew she could always count on her aunt Marissa to support her in anyway she could, it meant so much to her.  Marissa & her niece were very close, June will never forget all that Marissa has done for her and cherishes every memory.

Marissa also has family in Canada on her mother's side (Eileen).  Born with a Native American background, Marissa was very interested in learning more about her heritage and included her niece & nephew in the experience.  She took her niece & nephew to Canada, each separately, to spend time with their relatives.  Her favorite memory from her Canada trip was when her cousin Lyle did his Native Moose-call for her, he said "Here Moosey, Moosey, Moosey".  That's when her love of all things Moose began.  Even many years later she would light up and laugh every time she mentioned the story and delighted her family with her Native Moose-call.  Her niece, June & godson, Michael were very fortunate to have lived close enough to Marissa that they could grow those close relationships with her.  She also had another niece, Nicole, who lived with her parents in Schaumburg, IL and did not have that same experience.  Nonetheless, Marissa loved Nicole just as much and spent time with her whenever she would come to visit.

Canada wasn't the only place she traveled or liked to have fun.  She traveled out to San Francisco; Texas; Lake Tahoe to go skiing; NYC to go see shows with her niece and out to Schaumburg, IL to visit with her sister, brother-in-law and her other niece, Nicole.  She loved taking pictures of her adventures and all the places she's been, she sent postcards to her family recounting how excited she was and the great time she was having.  Marissa occasionally liked watching college basketball games from where she went to college - the North Carolina Tar Heels, she also enjoyed watching the Olympics. She was an avid reader to say the least, her the library in her house was overflowing into the hallway & every room you were sure to find at least one book.  Marissa loved music, it was a big part of her life and she was very talented.  Along with playing the Harpsichord when she was younger, Marissa could play guitar, banjo, piano, accordion and loved to sing.  At her family's 4th of July picnic Marissa on guitar and her cousin, Jennifer Alexander of NJ, on piano started playing some music for the family and kids. It was just a fun time with the family, which Marissa enjoyed a lot.  Marissa enjoyed being around family and truly cherished the time she had with them.  She enjoyed going to her sister Christine's home for family dinners throughout the years with her niece, godson & Steven.  After dinner they would always play boardgames, it was a fun time that turned into a nice tradition.  She enjoyed going to Music Fest in Bethlehem for many years, especially once she moved into her new home in Coopersburg.  Marissa's house in Coopersburg was the first home she ever owned and was pretty proud of herself seeing as she was only in her 30's when she bought her first house.  Her house in Coopersburg saw a lot of good times, holidays and her 40th birthday.  She was proud of her home and her town of Coopersburg, so much so that she held a position in the Council for a number of years.  Her late parents were able to come and enjoy her home as well before her father (Warren) passed away.  Marissa's backyard was the perfect spot for picnics, cook-outs, yard sales and her hidden "Green Thumb".  She grew everything including Rhubarb and strawberries, she loved strawberry-rhubarb pie.  As the years went on she introduced Percy, her beloved Sheltie to her home, she did love him so much.  As her mother's (Eileen) health declined, Marissa took care of her and took in her Yorkie, Buddy.  One more dog was added to her home, Spunky, the big, lovable, white, fluffy dog.  Her heart & home were definitely full and she was happy, but her heart still had plenty of room.

While attending AA meetings in Coopersburg, Marissa met Steven Michals in 2011. Marissa and Steve were both interested in the Quaker religion and after meeting again at the Quaker Meeting House in 2012 they quickly became good friends.  They found out they had a lot in common like their taste in music: the Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Crosby Stills Nash and Young to name a few.  Her favorite music artist was Arlo Guthrie.  As time went on they spent more time together, they went out to eat a lot, they both loved going to concerts & they went to a lot of them together and they even started going to the local YMCA to work out and swim.  They loved to travel: NYC; New York State; Chicago, Il;  Akron, OH & Stockbridge, MA to name a few.  Steven used to meet Marissa and Susan at Fitzwater Station so they could enjoy the live music and the good times.  Steven took Marissa to meet his family and he said they loved her too.  They would go up to NY State in the summer to visit with his sisters, brother and his family.  Marissa helped Steven get sober, and stay sober for the last 8 years.  Steven remembers the way they could talk and would both completely understand each other.  Steven said "I felt closer to her than anyone else I ever knew. She was my best friend and my true love. I will always love her & I will always miss her."

Marissa helped a lot of people in her work and in her life. She was a wonderful person who will be greatly & deeply missed by those whose lives she touched, by those who love her and especially by her  loving family.

Marissa Grace Browne was preceded in death by her parents (Warren & Eileen Browne); her godfather (Ronald "Ed" Gravish, Sr.); grandparents; countless aunts & cousins and her beloved dog, Percy.  She is survived by her two sisters Carol Overholt (Schaumburg, IL) & Christine Benson (Telford, PA); nieces Nicole Krauch (Chicago, IL) & June Benson (Lansdale, PA); nephew & godson Michael Benson (Lansdale, PA); life partner Steven Michals (Coopersburg, PA) and her beloved dog, Spunky.

Due to Social Distancing restrictions we will be having a Memorial Service for friends & family at a later date once it is safe to do so.  Please check back for date, time & location (local to Coopersburg)

In lieu of flowers at this time we have an organization below where donations can be made in Marissa Grace Browne's honor:

https://laurel-house.org/how-to-help/monetary-donations

Please specify that the donation is for The Marissa Browne Memorial Fund. All donations will go towards the counseling department at Laurel House and will help young ladies who have been victimized in situations of domestic violence, many of whom are also struggling with substance abuse issues as well.

If anyone would prefer to mail in their donation, their P. O. Box is:

Laurel House

P.O. Box 764

Norristown, PA 19404

Their website is www.laurel-house.org

If you would still like to send flowers we will be accepting them for the Memorial Service which will be held at a future date.