CASTINE – Monique Mutty Brown, 57, passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 1, 2024, surrounded by her family.

She was born on Aug. 3, 1966, in Malden, Mass., to a large and loving family: her parents, Larry and Danielle Mutty, and her three older siblings, Lawrence, Paul, and Nicole. She graduated in 1984 from Cony High School in Augusta, and in 1988 from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

Monique made many lasting friendships during her years on the hill, which she cherished deeply. The most important of these was her future husband, Jay, who was the resident assistant (RA) in her dorm at the time. They first met one night when she was baking in the communal dorm kitchen and needed to borrow the vacuum to clean up the ensuing mess. He joked that she could borrow the vacuum, but that it was dorm policy for the RA to sample any baked items for “safety reasons”. Later that evening, the vacuum was left at his doorstep, accompanied by two chocolate cupcakes.

Monique majored in French at Holy Cross, inspired by the culture and love for foreign languages that was instilled in her by her French-Canadian mother, Danielle. After graduating from Holy Cross, she earned a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and began teaching in Mansfield, Conn. Monique touched countless lives as a teacher at Southeast Elementary School, where she worked as a First Grade and Kindergarten teacher for twenty years. Additionally, Monique played a pivotal role in spearheading Mansfield Public Schools’ transition from half-day to full-day kindergarten. Her leadership in this initiative had a lasting effect on both the students and local families. Her compassion and creativity shone brightly in her classroom, as did her patience and sense of humor, which were equally necessary to handle dozens of kids with runny noses and untied shoelaces. (She marveled at the lifesaving technology that was the velcro sneaker.)

Both of Monique’s daughters – Carolyn (Brown) Certo and Katie Brown – attended Southeast School and loved the years they were able to spend at school with their mom, where they often ate lunch with her and enjoyed the luxuries of riding in a car to school, rather than the school bus. Monique loved participating in school functions outside the classroom, leading face painting and Alex’s Lemonade Stand at the annual Fall Carnival, facilitating an after-school program where kids built fairy houses in the woods, and hosting several staff Christmas parties at her house, where the teachers enjoyed competitive games of pool in their basement.

Monique was a natural athlete and played field hockey at Cony High School. Her passion for health and fitness blossomed during her time as the lead aerobics teacher while at Holy Cross. In an issue of the Worcester Gazette newspaper published on Nov. 26, 1984, Monique was interviewed for a story about the dreaded “freshmen fifteen”. The reporter described her laughter as she reflected on how “you can’t put on weight when you are hiking up all these stairs,” a reference to Holy Cross’s extraordinarily hilly campus. But if the stairs weren’t cutting it, Monique added that her aerobics class at the Hart Center was a great supplement. After college, Monique became an avid runner, participating in the yearly Castine 4th of the July 5K with her brothers and father, and eventually alongside her daughter, Carolyn (who, at age 12, requested to run with her mom and then proceeded to complain the entire time). Monique was patient and supportive, and cherished these mother-daughter moments, despite the complaints and far slower pace. Monique later trained and completed her first half marathon in Fairfield, Conn., with a crew of neighborhood moms – an accomplishment of which she was very proud.

Monique became a keen sailor at a young age and grew up sailing the Penobscot Bay with her parents and brothers. The five of them set sail on many adventures in their twenty-two-foot sailboat, Ninique, where they learned lessons about navigation, weather, and, most importantly, how to have fun when nothing goes according to plan. Monique later carried on this love for adventure and the ocean with her own family, during the many summer afternoons they spent sailing aboard Flicker.

Monique moved to Castine in 2017 to support her parents as her father began hospice. During her time in Castine, she spent many hours volunteering at the Witherle Memorial Library, where she enjoyed being a part of the local community.

Monique’s love and legacy is carried on in her two daughters, Carolyn and Katie, whom she loved dearly. She also leaves behind her husband, Jay, her brother Lawrence Mutty, her brother Paul Cyr-Mutty and his wife Jo, and her nephews and nieces, Deasy, Sarah, Alex, and Aaron. Monique also leaves behind her first grand-cat, Penny, whom she was very fond of. She was predeceased by her father, Larry Mutty, and her sister, Nicole Mutty.

As she was an active member and participant there, Monique’s Memorial Service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Castine, 86 Court St, Castine, Maine, on Saturday, January 20, at 1 p.m. Following the Memorial Service, all are welcome to join the family to celebrate her life at the Pentagoet Inn, 26 Main St, Castine, Maine.

Donations in Monique’s memory may be made to H.O.M.E. Inc., which is a local community assistance charity in Orland, Maine, that Monique frequently donated to and supported.

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