Donor Profile

Spotlight on Virginia Brown

"She's one of those people you want to be like when you grow up," says former AFB trustee Lynda Jones. "She is a remarkable woman." Lynda is speaking of Virginia Brown, her close friend and one of the newest members of AFB's Helen Keller Society.

Ms. Brown's interest in AFB sprang from her friendship with Lynda Jones. She and Lynda have been friends for close to 10 years. "She is basically a surrogate mother. I'm so grateful that she's agreed to be a part of my life," says Lynda. Lynda, who is blind herself, works with the Special Education Department at Florida State University, and served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Foundation for the Blind between the years of 2001 and 2005.

Ms. Virginia Brown, known as Ginny to her friends, grew up in a town in Kentucky that is just a stone's throw away from Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1990, she moved right next door to her late brother and sister-in-law in Tallahassee, Florida. A retired IRS agent, she still helps her friends with their tax returns and does crossword puzzles "to keep her brain working." She enjoys reading and during the winter months she and Lynda are regulars at a local theater. Every Sunday Ms. Brown teaches a women's Sunday school class at her church. She is constantly hosting friends at home that are passing through the area or need a place to stay, and is ever-willing to lend a helping hand. "Everyone who knows her, loves her," Lynda says.

Over the years, she has traveled overseas to a variety of places such as England, Scotland, and Italy. Currently she is working on a project for her high school alma mater to locate missing classmates, and has written several articles for her high school newsletter. Ms. Brown just celebrated her 88th birthday this October.

Earlier this year, Ms. Brown rewrote her estate plans to include income for Lynda - "I just want to make sure she's taken care of -" and a gift to AFB. Through her new will, Ms. Brown was able to establish a Testamentary Trust that would provide income for Lynda Jones during her lifetime and afterward letting the remainder pass to the American Foundation for the Blind. "I was humbled and awestruck that she cared enough about me to also include something I cared so much about," Lynda says. "She gives, and gives, and gives. It keeps her young."

AFB would like to thank Ms. Virginia Brown for her kindness and generosity. We are honored that she has thought to include AFB in her future plans.