Lynn Ellen Heidinger-Brown

August 29, 1946 - June 1, 2020

Lynn Ellen Heidinger-Brown, passed away on June 1, 2020 at her home in Edwardsville. She was 73. She was born on August 29, 1946 in North Arlington, New Jersey, the daughter of the late Lamont and Lorine (Kroeger) Heidinger. Ms. Heidinger-Brown graduated from Edwardsville High School in 1964. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in teaching English at University of Illinois in 1967, a Master of Arts at DePaul University in 1970, and earned an Education Specialist degree at Central Missouri State University in 1976. After returning to Edwardsville in 1976, Ms. Heidinger-Brown started her career at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville as an English teacher. She soon moved into the Department of Continuing Education, where she devoted nearly 30 years to developing innovative programs that served the university’s faculty and students and brought it to the broader community. She retired from SIUE in 2007 as the Director of Continuing Education. Ms. Heidinger-Brown’s personal interests ranged widely across literature, classical music, classical guitar, sailing and travel. She was truly a world traveler having visited all seven continents. Her greatest joys were being a partner with Dr. James Brown on the adventure of life, as well as being a mother and grandmother. She was a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Edwardsville and a supporter of the St. Louis Guitar Society, St. Louis Symphony and The Muny. Ms. Heidinger-Brown enjoyed many happy years with her partner and loving spouse, Dr. James Montgomery Brown, who preceded her in death in 2005. She also was married to Dr. Russell Burks Dieterich from 1967 to 1976; he survives and resides in St. Charles, Missouri. Ms. Heidinger-Brown is survived by her daughter, Kristen Lynn Dieterich and husband, Brian Keith Peterson, granddaughter, Katharine Lynn Peterson and grandson, Grant Russell Peterson of Edwardsville. Also surviving are her sister, Sue Deist of Edwardsville; niece, Carrie Beavers and husband Jeff, great niece Allison of Edwardsville; nephew, Steven Deist and wife Molly, great nieces Greta, Hildi, and Margo of Glen Carbon; nephew, Major Eric Deist and wife Catherine, great nieces Naomi and Mia of Joint Base Lewis–McChord in Tacoma, Washington. She is also survived by four step-children, four step-grandchildren and two step-great grandchildren: step-son Christopher Brown and wife Suzanne Bell of Rochester, New York; step-son Timothy Brown and wife Marion Piller of Boulder, Colorado; step-granddaughter Andrea Kozai and husband Takashi, step-great granddaughters Fiona and Risa of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; step-daughter Amanda Jones and husband Thomas, step-granddaughter Esther Jones of Beaverton, Oregon; step-son Lynn Brown and wife Sandra Brinkert, step-grandson Henry Brown and step-granddaughter Lily Brown of Brooklyn, New York. There will be a private family graveside service at Sunset Hills Memorial Estates with Rev. Grant Armstrong presiding. Memorials are suggested to the St. Louis Guitar Society or the American Parkinson Disease Association.