Margaret Elizabeth (Byerly) Brown

ROCKLAND – Margaret Elizabeth (Byerly) Brown, 74, of Rockland, Maine, passed away peacefully at Sussman House in Rockport on Dec. 19, 2025, following a brief illness.

She was born on July 9, 1951, at U.S. Army Fort Devens in Shirley, Mass., to Margaret (Fabian) Byerly and Major David James Byerly.

Margaret attended Kent State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus on Anthropology/Sociology/Psychology, and Akron University, where she earned her master’s degree in public administration with a focus on the Management of Human Services. Her professional life was devoted to improving lives by consistently advocating empathy, dignity, and respect for all beings. She never hesitated to help others and lived with a quiet generosity that touched many beings.

She was deeply kind, funny, gentle, brave, thoughtful, compassionate, and empathetic, and believed in living in the moment and finding joy in simple things. She loved cooking and baking for family and friends, celebrating the changing of the seasons, spending time by the ocean, tending to the flowers in her garden, and watching the birds and squirrels that frequented the yard of the beautiful little home she shared with her longtime partner, Robert. Some of her happiest moments were spent sitting quietly with a book, a cat in her lap, and a cup of tea close at hand.

Margaret was a lifelong student and practitioner of Buddhism and a longtime member of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra Monastery in Woodstock, NY.

She was predeceased by her mother, Margaret Byerly, her father, David Byerly; and her former husband, Lawrence Brown. She is survived by her longtime partner, Robert Schroff; her son, John Brown of Gardiner, his wife Nicole Brown, and their children, John Anthony Brown and Alexander Brown; her daughter, Aimee Kaloyares of Walker, La., her husband Adam Kaloyares, and their four daughters Alice, Anne, Audrey, and Addie May; and her daughter, Laura Beth Brown of Brunswick. She loved her family fiercely and was immensely proud of her three children and six grandchildren.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the compassionate staff at Pen Bay Medical Center for their care of Margaret over the past several years, and to the caregivers at Sussman House, who ensured she experienced a peaceful and gentle transition from this life.

There will be no public service. A private gathering will be held for family and close friends. Those who wish to honor Margaret are encouraged to light a candle in her memory.

Margaret believed strongly in performing “random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty”.

In her honor, donations may be made to:
P.A.L.S. No-Kill Cat Shelter in Winthrop, Maine

in recognition of the many feline friends she cherished throughout her life