Helen Record Brown

Helen Record Brown was born on March 19, 1926 in Paris, Texas to parents Jules Manton Record and Mary Eugenia Thomas Record. She grew up in the Park Cities communities of Dallas and attended Highland Park High School, where she graduated in 1944. While at Highland Park, Helen was a cheerleader and voted as Class Favorite along with Bobby Lane and Doak Walker. Following high school, she attended Lindenwood College and the University of Texas. As a lifelong resident of the Park Cities, Helen was married at Highland Park Presbyterian Church where she remained a member until her death. She was also heavily involved in the support of her children as they grew up in the area.

Helen is remembered by her sons in the following words:

On the outside mother was a beautiful old-world Southern belle born to privilege and social grace. She possessed all the values current to her day in the South. She was born to this....she played the role well as a classy beautiful and charming Southern lady. This is a beautiful lifestyle many yet seek to duplicate and enjoy. This is definitely a part of who mother was but for us...these trappings did not fully define Helen Record Brown. These were just the icing on a beautiful Southern Cake.

With mom actually being passed...it's amazing the flood of memories coming back.

She was a Best friend to all of us. No matter what lifestyle she was born into, she was an incredible Best friend. When we were little boys the fun was to be had down at the creek. Mother was always ready to get grubby and go hunt tadpoles or crawfish with us. If we got cut or scraped up, she would say not to let that spoil the adventure. Just part of the fun!

She was the person who taught us to have Faith in God and in doing so everything would be OK.

Mom taught us to be good citizens-- she supported us in activities like YMCA sports and Boy Scouts and teaching us The Pledge of Allegiance...The National Anthem etc..... She spent time with each of us to build character.

She did this for each of us boys. We were in a sense her Art. She was freely giving of herself a legacy of Faith, compassion, hard work and helping others.  She supported all our diverse interests. Academic, Sports, Scouts, Photography, Art, Music. humor.... each of us boys got what we needed from mom. She was always supportive and quick to laugh. The gift of humor was never wasted with mom.

All of us boys eventually turned out pretty good. The lessons mother imparted to us and the confidence she inspired is her legacy to each of us. Though she is now with her angels and beyond our human reach her legacy lives within each of us as it always has. I never really noticed her powerful influence more than I do now with her passing.

God gave us the most awesome of mothers and today she lives in us still. This is, we believe, the Gift of Love that only a mother can impart and share. Thank you, mom for giving me life and shaping me the way you did. You are loved and missed.

Helen was called home to Heaven on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 in Dallas. She is survived by her 4 sons, 8 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren: Dr. Richard S. Brown of Jackson Wyoming, his wife Cindy and children Richard R. Brown, Ashley Brown Hughes, her husband Justin Hughes and their daughters Harper and Tatum, Robert R. Brown of Salina, Kansas and his wife Marcy, Dr. W. David Brown of Dallas and his sons David, Christopher, and Will, and Dr. Philip M. Brown of Dallas, and his wife Annette and their children, Hayden, Keely, and Drew.

Helen will be laid to rest and there will be a graveside service at Hillcrest Memorial Park, 7405 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, Texas at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 14, 2020.