Monica Cotter-Brown

MONICA "MONA" COTTER-BROWN

Iowa City

Monica "Mona" Cotter-Brown died peacefully April 1, 2015, at Crestview Nursing Home in West Branch.

Mona was born in Carrigaline, Ireland, on Oct. 17, 1935. She grew up on a farm in County Cork and attended University College Cork, where she studied nursing. In college, she interned as a midwife and helped bring many babies into the world in the poor neighborhoods around Cork City.

While pursuing her degree, she met her future husband, James Christopher Noel Brown. They were engaged in the mid-1950s and moved to Chicago, where Noel completed his psychiatric internship. After they were married, they relocated to Iowa and eventually found their way to Iowa City, where they settled and raised their family.

They both loved this community deeply and established many lasting and wonderful friendships here.

She and Noel both enjoyed dancing, bird watching, theater and travel. She humored her husband with frequent boat outings on the Mississippi which he enjoyed much more than she. Mona loved cuisine and was an extremely talented cook. She leaves behind a veritable library of cookbooks; her culinary talents had a strong influence on her children, who all take great joy in food.

Mona is survived by her brother, Gerald; sister, Anne; sister-in-law, Kay; five children, Ciaran (Deb), Ruadhri (Erika), Seaghan (Kathy), Seamus (Amy) and Maire; and her grandchildren, Aodhan and Maili.

Her grace, beauty and wit will be terribly missed, but her influence lives on in all those who loved her.

Visitation will be at Lensing Funeral Home on Wednesday, April 8, from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by a celebration of her life at The Dublin Underground.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Iowa City Hospice, which provided great comfort to Mona and her family in her final days.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.lensingfuneral.com.