Elizabeth "Libby" Warren Brady - Obituary

lizabeth Warren Brady, of Annapolis, Maryland, passed peacefully at home with her family on April 28, 2023. She was 91. Elizabeth – or “Libby” as she was known to friends and family – was born on November 3, 1931, in Portsmouth, Virginia, to William Watts Warren, a railroad administrator who later ran for public office, and Irene Casey Warren, who worked for the Department of the Navy. A “southern belle” to her core, Libby’s grace, wit, beauty, warmth – and occasional pouts – charmed everyone around her. She deployed this superpower mercilessly to draw in even the most unfriendly strangers, softening their scowls and turning them into smiling acquaintances. In her early years, she was her father’s “secret weapon” as he campaigned for the Virginia State Legislature, greeting voters with her tiny, white-gloved hand and wearing her well-tailored blue velvet coat—a gesture that landed her on the front page of The Virginian-Pilot in 1940. After attending Woodrow Wilson High School, where she was a varsity cheerleader, she embarked on her original career as a medical laboratory technician after attending the College of William and Mary and additional training at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago. She returned to Portsmouth in her bright red convertible Studebaker and began her job at Maryview Hospital. It was there that she became close to several nuns and, admiring their faith, decided to become Catholic like her mother (her father was Episcopalian). With no shortage of friends in Portsmouth, Libby’s weekends were filled with parties, dates and trips to Virginia Beach. But her single days were numbered. By chance, a Navy warship pulled into Norfolk for repairs after suffering some minor damage. A young ensign aboard the ship had family friends in nearby Portsmouth and invited his shipmate, Ensign Francis “Frank” Thomas Brady, to join them for dinner. The family’s daughter happened to be Libby’s best friend and she quickly called Libby to meet the handsome young naval officer who would become her husband. The love affair would endure nearly 65 years, until Frank’s passing in February 2022. As a young Navy couple, Libby and Frank had postings in Jacksonville, FL, and Charleston, SC, before a final stop in Annapolis, MD, after which Frank began a new civilian career. Meanwhile, Libby began her new career as a mother, which she always considered her life’s work and most important accomplishment. Yet, even while raising six children, Libby found the time and energy for other ventures. She had passion for houses and home décor (she led the effort to build two family houses in the Pendennis Mount neighborhood). She also loved talking with people and getting to know them. She ultimately decided to combine these two interests into a hugely successful career in real estate. As an agent with the Annapolis office of Coldwell Banker and its predecessor companies for decades, Libby was recognized in 2006 for completing what was then the largest real estate transaction in Anne Arundel County’s history. At a time when few women with children would even contemplate entering the workforce, Libby took on the demands of both roles without a hint of stress. Though she tended to be a little late for appointments and carpool pickups, her smile and gracious apologies would inevitably smooth any ruffled feathers. As her children started lives of their own and the next generation of Bradys emerged, Libby reveled in her new role as “Gram” to 21 grandchildren. With Frank’s retirement in 1994, the couple’s life centered on helping with the grandchildren, travelling with friends, and entertaining. You would often find her serving her famous ham biscuits at a Navy football tailgate party, chatting with familiar faces at the local market, or at home with Frank for their nightly “happy hour”—a pre-dinner ritual they enjoyed their entire married life. Libby’s favorite get-togethers were Sunday night dinners for friends and family—often impromptu gatherings of 40 people or more—for which she would quickly assemble a buffet from whatever she had on hand. But her focus was always more on the people than the food. She loved good conversations and, when there was a lull, she would throw out such non-sequiturs as “Do you think the rain will hurt the rhubarb?” and “What’s it all about, Alfie?” and then laugh until her blue-green eyes welled up with tears. Regardless of the activity, Libby was always impeccably dressed and groomed, her lifelong beauty regimen consisting solely of soap and water and, on special occasions, the tiniest speck of red lipstick. She believed beauty comes from the inside out. And she proved it every day of her long and happy life. Libby is survived by five of her six children: Regina Brady Vasan, Katherine Brady McMillan, Elizabeth Wasielewski (Phil), Edward W. Brady (Kristin)—all of Annapolis; and Frank Brady, Jr., of Silver Spring. She is predeceased by her daughter Cary Brady Dion (Richard) and her brother, Cary Robertson “Bubba” Warren. In addition, Libby is survived by her 21 grandchildren: Katherine McMillan Capone (Greg), Brady McMillan, and Clare Dion, all of Washington, DC; Anna McMillan of Jacksonville, FL.; and Hall McMillan (Kelly), Patrick Dion, Madeline Dion, Daniel Dion, William Dion, Richard Dion, Jr., Robert Dion, Henry Dion, Andrew Wasielewski, Irene Wasielewski, Stanley Wasielewski, John Brady, Charles Brady, Elinor Brady, Emma Brady, Katherine Brady, and Kendrick Brady Vasan, all of Annapolis. A memorial gathering for family and friends is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater, MD. A devout Catholic, Libby’s life will be celebrated with a funeral mass at St. John Neumann Roman Catholic Church, 620 N. Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD, on Thursday, May 18 at 10:30 a.m. Libby will be buried next to her beloved Frank at the U.S. Naval Academy Columbarium in a private ceremony at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in Libby’s name to the Children’s Defense Fund. Tribute donations may be made online at www.childrensdefense.org or by calling (202) 662-3654. Donations may also be sent to the Children’s Defense Fund, P.O. Box 803630, Chicago, IL 60680.