Adeline Compton Brown
March 17, 1933 ~ March 13, 2026
Born in:
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Resided in:
Nashville, Tennessee
Adeline Compton Brown (née Gaiennie), 92, of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away peacefully at her home on March 13, 2026.
Adeline was born on March 17, 1933, to Escalon Joseph “EJ” and Isabelle Gaiennie. She spent her childhood in Shreveport, Louisiana, living with her parents, her older brother Escalon Joseph Jr. “Lonnie,” and her maternal grandmother, Marie Voss. Adeline graduated from Villa Duchesne, a Sacred Heart academy in St. Louis, Missouri. She continued her studies at Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans and Georgetown Visitation in Washington, D.C.
Early in her career, Adeline worked for the Society office of the Shreveport Times. A highlight of her professional life was serving as a social secretary for First Lady Mamie Eisenhower at the White House during the Eisenhower administration.
Adeline and Reeves “Buster” Brown III were married in Shreveport on December 20, 1958. They lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, before eventually settling in Cleveland, Tennessee. They were blessed with four children, each of whom she considered her greatest gift. She eventually moved to Nashville to be closer to her children and grandchildren. She said in all she poured out to her family, she received so much more in return and was overflowing with gratitude.
Adeline loved her Catholic faith deeply. A daily communicant and active member of the Cathedral of the Incarnation for many years, she also taught CCD and prayed fervently for the unborn and their mothers. She was a dedicated member of the St. Cecilia Chapter of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic (Third Order). She was received as a Candidate in 2009 and made her Final Promise for life in 2013, taking the Dominican name “Catherine” in honor of St. Catherine of Siena. In later years, she continued to support the Fraternity as a Prayer Member.
Lovingly known as “Grandy,” Adeline was a lifelong learner who viewed her passing as her “graduation day.” She possessed a unique gift for encouragement, frequently sharing hand-written scripture verses on small slips of paper that provided exactly what was needed in the moment. Her home was a sanctuary of laughter and praise for the life God blessed her with.
She is survived by her loving children: Isabelle Thorp (John) Norris, Hardwick Marshall Brown, and Clint Gaiennie (Tammy) Brown; her granddaughters, Caroline (Simon) Compton Brown Barroso and Mary Catherine Norris; and her great-grandchildren, Oliver “Ollie” and Griffin Barroso.
Services
Rosary Service: March 17, 2026 9:30 am - 10:00 am
Cathedral of the Incarnation
2015 West End Ave.
Nashville, TN 37203
Funeral Mass: March 17, 2026 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Cathedral of the Incarnation
2015 West End Ave.
Nashville, TN 37203
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Adeline was the perfect example of a good and faithful servant to all of us who knew her. She handled her joys and sorrows with grace and she always had a positive outlook and had a genuine loving heart. I loved her will treasure her memory always.
I can’t imagine the above quotation from Thoreau describing anyone more perfectly than it does Adeline Brown.
I remember once when she was still living in New Orleans I went to have
coffee at La Madeline. There she was, sitting outside earnestly studying French, drinking an espresso and eating a croissant, wearing a long granny dress with a huge floppy sun hat.
If I hadn’t known who she was I might have mistaken her for an aging hippy, a respectable bag lady, or a PHD from Radcliffe.
Happily I knew her. It was Adeline. What more is there to say?