It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Pearl Brown OBE, beloved member of our artistic community, student of ESOP and member of our advisory board.
Pearl was a great personal friend to us and to the ESOP community. Generous and indomitable, Pearl’s kindness shown through her twinkly eyes and quiet smile. Her contribution to every conversation, task and adventure and the wise ear she lent to other students will be remembered for a long time. An active member of The ESOP board of Advisors we all benefited from her experience honed from successfully running large organisations.
A proud Scot Pearl was born in 1947 and throughout her life showed an affinity towards social engagement. A nurse by training, she specialised in community health and worked both a district nurse and health visitor in London’s Tower Hamlets before running District Nursing and Health Visiting Services in London’s borough of Hackney. An inexhaustible learner Pearl in her mid-thirties applied and was admitted to the prestigious London School of Economies to study Social Administration. In 1994 she set up and ran the Riverside Community Heath Care Trust over its lifespan of eight years and in the 2001 honours list, announce in December 2000, Pearl Holmes Brown was awarded an OBE for services to Health Care in London. An ever-active individual Pearl’s ‘retirement’ involved her re-training as an Executive Coach and mentored dozens, including our director, through their careers and lives whilst immersing herself in art.
Pearl was a wonderful artist, unreasonably modest, with a Milton Avery type magical atmosphere emanating from her work. Her compassionate soul could be felt through her work showing a quietude and delight in people and the small moments in life and nature. Her love of colour extended to everything else about her. In the way she dressed and she, we suspect, kept her stylist’s imagination ever active with ever changing hair style, colours and hues; from purples to oranges, contrasting nails and all kinds of assorted, interesting and beguiling jewellery. She was determined to be fabulous and to enjoy being alive!
These last two years Pearl demonstrate this zest of life and commitment to being an artist by even attending classes online whilst on her hospital bed and, as soon as she was back on her feet, attending our End of Year show in November 2021 to take in the atmosphere of the opening, to look at the work of fellow students and to enjoy being with all of us. She simply lived, cherished and enjoyed ever bit and minute she could be with her beloved community of family, friends and fellow travellers in the world of art.
Pearl Holmes Brown will be truly missed.
’Squeeze your loved ones, life is precious’
