Jolene Vivian Brown-Baird

Jolene Vivian Bradfield Brown-Baird, 81, of Mansfield, Texas, peacefully passed away on February 21, 2022.

Jolene was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 1, 1940, to Lawrence James Bradfield and Vivian Afton Nelson. She was the oldest of three children, with one sister, Trudy Kay, and a brother who lived only 18 days, Lawrence Nelson Bradfield.

She married Francis “Bob” Brown on September 17, 1960 in Sunnyvale, California and, together, they had seven children, eventually settling in Mansfield, Texas in 1983. After many trials together, they divorced on January 27, 1997, after 36 years of marriage.

Jolene began working in customer service at Arlington Telecable in 1982, eventually moving into the accounting department. She retired in 2006 from that same company, now known as Comcast, after almost 24 years of service. She was loved by all that knew her there.

She met Merrill Baird at a church dance, and they married on July 12, 1997. They would have celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year.

A woman of strong faith, Jolene was a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in many church callings over the years, including several years in the Dallas, Texas Temple.

Her greatest joy was her large family of seven children, seventeen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Her second marriage blessed her with eight stepchildren, twenty-three step-grandchildren and 5 step-great grandchildren, all of whom she loved.

She enjoyed writing stories, painting, and singing in the choir. She loved being in her home, surrounded by her family, or feeding hummingbirds and other wild birds.

She is now reunited with the daughter she lost to drowning in California and has been waiting to see for 48 years, as well as many other loved ones. She will be dearly missed and left a special legacy of love and faith.

Jolene was preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence James Bradfield and Vivian Afton Nelson Bradfield, her brother, Lawrence, her daughter, Crystal, and her grandson, Joseph.

She is survived by her husband, Merrill F. Baird; her sister, Trudy Kay Ryder; her sister in heart, Terry Tolman; her children and their spouses, Russell Brown, Trudy and Grant Johnson, Robert and Marie Brown, Gregory and Shayne Brown, Barbara and Nathan Hughes, and David Brown; her grandchildren and their spouses, Brittany and Tom Coplen, Brandon Becker and Jessi Casteel, Robert, Jr. and Tawny Brown, Ryan Brown, Hannah Uleman, Joshua Brown, Riley and Christina Brown, Gabriel Uleman, Reina Brown, Derek Johnson, Brooke Uleman, Jacob Brown, Emma Johnson, Jared Brown, Ezra Brown, and Scarlet Brown; and her great-grandchildren, Kent, Corinne, and Nora Coplen, and Avery and Kai Brown; and many nieces and nephews, and special friends.