Ann Marie Marmorek Brown (1917–2008)

Birth: Apr. 22, 1917, Vienna, Vienna (Wien), Austria
Death: Jan. 21, 2008, Dana Point, Orange County, California, USA

Daughter of Oskar Marmorek & Cornelia (Nelly) Shwartz ~aka~ (Julia Figdor). Two brothers Franz & Ernest
First married to Hamilton Wright.
Married to Earl Arvid Brown on 24 Apr 1965, in Las Vegas.
Never had children. Immigrated to the US Nov 1938.

Obituaries March 14, 2008: May Brown, Script Supervisor, Treasure Island Activist, dies

May Wale Brown, a film and television script supervisor who played a role in opposing development of Laguna Beach's Treasure Island mobile home park, died on Jan. 21.

According to her mother, Brown was "born to a waltz" in Vienna, Austria, on April 22, 1917. True to this spirit, Brown personified Viennese charm, laughter and wit, she always felt that a sense of humor and the ability to laugh at oneself were essential to life.

Brown attended the Kosularakademie (diplomatic studies) in Vienna, and later worked for the U.S. consulate there. After she arrived in the United States, she attended Bucknell College and then worked during WWII for radio and television's Voice of America broadcasts. John Houseman appointed her as a casting director, and she hired a young Yul Brynner as one of the announcers. Subsequently, Brown became a Hollywood script supervisor, working in the movie and television industry for over 35 years. She served as a right hand to directors including Billy Wilder and Roman Polanski, working on such films as "The Apartment," "One Two Three" and "Chinatown." Her career also included working for many years on the television series "Bonanza," where she formed lasting friendships with Michael Landon and Dan Blocker.

In her retirement years, Brown was a writer. She wrote a book about some of her movie business experiences in, "Reel Life on Hollywood Movie Sets." She also wrote a column called "Cat Chats" for a local newspaper for years, and turned these columns into a lively book illustrated by her friend Fred Holland. Brown always dedicated her books to her heroes - her husband, her father Oscar Marmorek, and her brothers, Ernest and Franz Marmorek.

A community activist, Brown was a member of the AAUW and the PenWomen, as well as many other local groups.

Brown and her husband, Earl A. ("Pinky") Brown, who died in January 2007, resided at Treasure Island in Laguna Beach for over 30 years. Along with their friends and neighbors, they fought for years to preserve the place and spirit of Treasure Island, but when the property was sold to developers in 1997, the Browns moved to Niguel Shores in Dana Point.

Pinky Brown was one of the original surfers and "campers" of Crystal Cove fame. He was also a veteran of the WWII invasion of Normandy. He and May attended many of the Normandy reunions over the years.

A celebration of May's life will be held at the Niguel Shores Clubhouse in Dana Point on Saturday March 15, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., with a sharing of memories at 3 p.m.
Brown is survived by her nieces, Kay Marmorek and Dr. Lynne Brody, of New York; and her sisters-in-law, Gertrude Marmorek of New York and Margot Marmorek, of Vienna, Austria.

In lieu of flowers, her family respectfully requests that donations be made to the May Brown Memorial Fund at Crystal Cove Alliance". Published in the Laguna Beach Independent