Albena K. Brown

Albena K. “Bena” Brown, 94, a resident of Davenport, died June 21, 2023 at her home.  Memorial services to celebrate her life will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport.  Burial will be in Davenport Memorial Park.  Visitation will be held from 10 until 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Holy Family Parish or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Albena Kathryn Pauletti was born on December 18, 1928 in Centerville, Iowa, the eleventh child born to Joseph and Angelina (Bertelle) Pauletti.  She graduated from high school when she was 15 and went to work for Iowa Southern Utilities Company in Centerville.  Bena was united in marriage to Richard L. “Dick” Brown on April 22, 1950 in Numa, Iowa.  He preceded her in death on April 17, 2017 following 67 years of marriage and memories together.

Bena and Dick moved to Davenport in 1953.  Bena worked for Equitable Life Assurance of New York and retired in August of 1984.

She was a longtime member of Holy Family Parish. 

Bena adored her family.  She enjoyed tending to her vegetable garden and canning with her daughter as well as baking, especially her chocolate chip cookies.  Bena also enjoyed cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes, reading mystery novels, feeding birds, doing jigsaw puzzles, playing games on her computer, and dog sitting!

Those left to honor Bena’s memory are her children: Richard J. (Jo Ellen) Brown, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Ann (Michael) Salter, Bettendorf; a daughter-in-law, Beth Brown, Minneapolis, Minnesota; grandchildren: Michael (Erica) Brown, Amy Brown, Joseph (Brooke) Brown, Christina (Matt) Dobratz, Sean (Brooke) Salter, Ali Salter, Tony Brown, Nick Brown, and Erin Brown; and great-grandchildren: Ethan Brown, AJ Dobratz, and one on the way.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her son, Mark Brown; her parents, and siblings: Geneva Passno, Corene Corollo, Edith Ronzani, Angie Smith, Guido Pauletti, Beno Pauletti, Marion Pauletti, and Victor Pauletti, and an infant sister, Edith Pauletti.  May they rest in peace. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.