Ethel Marlene (Novis) Brownlee

November 15, 2022

Ethel Marlene (Novis) Brownlee passed away on Tuesday, November 9, 2022 at the age of 84 at the Seasons Memory Care in Kansas City, Missouri. She was born on December 16, 1937 in WaKeeney, Kansas the daughter of Laurence Wayne Novis and Helen Jane (Simpson) Novis.
Marlene began her life in WaKeeney and later moved to Nampa, Idaho where she attended school at Nampa High School and graduated in 1957. She came to Deerfield, Kansas for the holidays in 1958 where she met and married Irving David Brownlee on April 10, 1959 in Nampa, Idaho. They made their home in Deerfield and later moved to Syracuse. They divorced in 1979. To this union four sons were born, Hugh, Earl, Lynn, and Neil. She continued her education attending St. Mary Of The Plains and graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching. She worked toward a Masters Degree in Special Education and stayed busy with the demands of teaching Special Education where she taught in numerous schools in Kansas. She enjoyed teaching all those years and the relationships she had with numerous children and retired in 2003. Marlene had a great love for Jesus and wanted everyone to know the joy of heaven. She loved to laugh and have fun together with family and friends. Her favorite holiday was Christmas and the decoration of Christmas trees and all of the lights and the giving of gifts and celebrations. She lived in Syracuse until 2015 where she moved to Seasons Memory Care in Kansas City due to her health and resided there until her passing.
Marlene was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Syracuse and was a Polio Survivor and belonged to a Polio Group. She was a big fan of KU Basketball, and enjoyed making Origami Paper Cranes, loved to travel with her sisters on Cruises, going various places such as Hawaii, New York City, and various cities to have fun and sightseeing. She enjoyed listening to John Denver music but her greatest enjoyment was spending time with her family, grandchildren and friends.
She was preceded in death by her father,  Laurence Wayne Novis, her mother,  Helen Jane (Simpson) Novis, three sisters - Laurene Burns, Kathy Davlin, Maxine Hill, and her daughter-in-law: Mary Brownlee
She is survived by four sons -  Hugh (& wife Becky) Brownlee of Syracuse, KS, Earl Brownlee of Garden City, KS, Lynn (& wife Lori) Brownlee of Lee’s Summit, MO, Neil (& wife Elizabeth) Brownlee of Syracuse, KS, 18 Grandchildren, 12 Great Grandchildren, several nieces and nephews. And numerous family members and friends
Memorial Services will be held on Wednesday, November 23, 2022 at 11:00 AM (MDT) at the First United Methodist Church in, Syracuse, KS. The Inurnment  will be at 2:00 PM (MDT) in the Kendall Cemetery, Kendall, Kansas.
In Lieu of Flowers memorial contributions may be payable to the First United Methodist Church, or Seasons Memory Care, and sent in care of Fellers Funeral Home & Monuments LLC, P.O. Box 1253, Syracuse, KS 67878. 620-384-5100.