May Brown was the role model for community involvement. Her contributions over the years in teaching, physical education, sports and public service were a matter of record to British Columbia.

Starting in the field of parks and recreation, while raising her family, she worked with young people in training and coaching athletic teams.

In 1972, she won election to the Vancouver Parks and Recreation Board and in 1976 to Vancouver City Council. On that Council, May Brown took the initiative and provided leadership on many, many boards and committees.

Several other organizations benefited from her involvement: she served on the Minister’s Sport and Recreation Advisory Council, the U.B.C. Athletic Council, the National Advisory Council on Fitness and Amateur Sport, the Boards of the Vancouver Symphony and of St. Paul’s Hospital …the list goes on.

The Victoria Commonwealth Games Society recognized her talents early on, for May Brown being vice chair of its Board. Here she won the respect of her fellow Board members through her no-nonsense attention to central issues and through her ready willingness to find solutions.

As an appropriate postscript, it needs to be added that May Brown became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1986.