Mary Eva Dell Sain Brown, formerly of Cherryville, NC, passed away on June 5, 2021, of natural causes at Arden Courts, a Palm Harbor, FL memory care facility. She was 99 years old. Her daughter, Mary Alissandratos was by her side at the time of her death.
Mrs. Brown was born May 11, 1922, in Vale, NC, the youngest child (of 8), to Preston and Mittie Crow Sain. She is preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Ernest Brown, her parents, 2 brothers, Ike and Lee Sain; and 5 sisters, Hazel AuBuchon, Edna Bingham, Gola Norman, Daisy Johnson and Grace Miller.
Survivors include Eva Dell’s three daughters: Patty Fox (Robert) of Clearwater, FL, Janet Shell of Charlotte, NC and Mary Alissandratos of Palm Harbor, FL; seven grandchildren, Tricia Fox (Josh Schoenberger) of San Diego, CA; Dr. Scott Shell (Andrew) of Buellton, CA, Jaclyn Shell of Charlotte, NC, Brian Shell (Kash) of Charlotte, NC, Andrew and Michel Alissandratos of Lake Tahoe, CA and Jared Alissandratos of Palm Harbor, FL; 2 great grandchildren, AJ and Shayne Schoenberger of San Diego, CA.
Eva Dell graduated from Banoak High School, Vale, NC as valedictorian in 1938 and Magna Cum Laude from Lenoir Rhyne University in 1942 (with a BA in English). In 1974 she received a Master of Education degree from UNC-Charlotte. Soon after college graduation, Eva Dell traveled to Los Angeles to spend several months with her brother, Lee, before finally making her way to Sioux Falls, SD, where Clyde, her high school sweetheart, was stationed during WWII. They were married there on Nov. 7, 1942, three days after her arrival.
After the war was over, Eva Dell and Clyde moved to Cherryville, NC and opened Modern Printing Company on Main Street. Clyde ran the daily operation, but Eva Dell was instrumental in getting the business off the ground by taking over the marketing and sales duties. In those early days, she drove many miles calling on prospective clients and succeeded in generating new and repeat orders that made Modern Printing Co. successful for over 50 years.
Besides working at the printing shop, Eva Dell was active in many community activities. She was a longtime member of St. John’s Lutheran church, a Sunday School teacher for the Gertrude Rudisill class and served in various leadership roles in the church. She also was an active member of her daughters’ PTA organizations. In addition, she volunteered at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, at the Schiele Museum in Gastonia, and for the Cancer Society. She even modeled for Troyanne Ross Modeling Co. in Charlotte for several months. In 1978 she was appointed to the Gaston County Women’s Task Force along with 5 other county women to help promote the passage of the ERA bill. Her many hours of community work earned her a Personality of the South designation in 1972.
In 1964, Eva Dell hosted for a year a German foreign exchange student, Heidi, in her Cherryville home. Many years later, after touring China, she also sponsored her tour guide, Maggie Lu, in her efforts to immigrate to the US. She maintained a relationship with both girls for the remainder of her life. Her compassion for others also led her to sponsor two young Taiwan orphans for several years culminating in a 1970 visit to see them.
Perhaps Eva Dell’s deepest passion, other than her family, was travel. Over the course of her life, she journeyed to many countries in Europe, South America, Africa and Australia and made specific trips to China, Russia, Middle East, Japan and many other places. To facilitate her passion, in 1978 she opened a travel agency beside the printing business and operated it for several years. Her family was included on many of these trips even after the daughters had families of their own. In 1992 all the family spent a wonderful vacation in Hawaii to celebrate Clyde and Eva Dell’s 50th wedding anniversary.
Eva Dell loved being with her grandchildren and was a part of all their lives regardless of where they lived. She was always available to help out, participated in all their life events, never judging them for their unconventional choices, and was always proud of their accomplishments. She was the perfect grandmother and beloved by all of 7 of them.
In 1984, Eva Dell bought a home in Clearwater, FL across the street from Patty. Although she alternated between her Cherryville and Clearwater homes for many years, she gradually began spending more of her time in Clearwater joining a local fitness group and attending church activities there. At age 90, she was featured on local TV for her fitness achievements. In 2013 Eva Dell moved into Mary’s home, then into a memory care facility in 2019.
Eva Dell was an intelligent, vibrant, beautiful woman. She had an independent spirit and was never one to conform to rules she didn’t agree with. She was a free thinker, often espousing ideas ahead of her time inspiring her children and grandchildren to pursue an education and be comfortable with who they are. She was an energetic woman, loved to entertain and often had gatherings at her Cherryville home, but ultimately, it was her love of her family that drove her. Eva Dell will be missed, but she has left a legacy of grace, spirit, achievement, and unconditional love.
A memorial service will be held on July 11, 2021 at 2:00 pm at St. John’s Lutheran Church with the Rev. Michael Collins officiating.
The family will receive friends in the church narthex immediately following the service.
Memorials may be made to Suncoast Hospice Foundation at https://suncoasthospicefoundation.org/donations/or to the Alzheimer’s Foundation at https://act.alz.org/donate
A guest register is available at www.stameycherryvillefuneralhome.com
Stamey-Cherryville Funeral Home & Cremation Service is assisting the family with local arrangements.