Math teacher Barbara Brown put her students at ease

Barbara Brown was a math instructor at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, but she also was a mentor and friend to students who struggled with numbers and needed extra help before tackling college-level courses.

Brown taught developmental courses to students who had finished high school but lacked the skills necessary to do beginning algebra or geometry. Her classes were some of the first to fill up, and there was rarely a day when students didn't line up outside her office to get extra help.

"She definitely was the teacher to go to for sure," said fellow math instructor Sarah Sponholz. "A big percentage of her students had math anxiety, and she made them feel comfortable. She created a welcoming environment in which to learn and to mentor, and help students get to where they needed to go."

Brown, 61, died April 29 at her home in Coon Rapids after a long battle with brain cancer.

Brown started her 37-year career teaching at North St. Paul High School in 1969. She moved to the Anoka-Hennepin district, where from 1973 to 1991 she taught math courses in the Teen Parent Program for teenage mothers in grades seven to 12 who could not attend regular classes. She joined the faculty at Anoka Ramsey in 1987 and fast became a student favorite.

"Her teaching style was very visual, and she moved at a pace that was comfortable for everyone," said former student Kathy Koperski. "She had a way of making mathematics at any level easy to learn."

Brown authored 15 papers and spoke at local, regional and national mathematics conferences. She wrote articles for Minnesota Mathematics magazine, along with a geometry textbook. She shot and edited a series of video tapes for 14 textbooks distributed by West Publishing. Brown was included in four editions of "Who's Who of American Teachers," and in 1997 she was named the Minnesota Mathematics Instructor of the Year by the Minnesota Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges. In 2000, she won the Silver Chalk Award when Anoka-Ramsey students voted her as the school's outstanding teacher.

Besides being an award- winning math instructor, Brown collected scores of blue ribbons at the State Fair and county fairs for her home-sewn knit dresses, skirts, gowns and business suits. She also made vestments for Epiphany Catholic Church in Coon Rapids, her husband said.

Brown was active for 15 years at Epiphany Catholic School, where she served on the school board and volunteered in the learning center. She established the school's first computer committee and helped bring computers to the school in the 1980s. She also enjoyed bike riding in Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park and watching and listening to birds, Clarence said.

Brown was born in Milwaukee and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1969. She later earned a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Minnesota and did postgraduate work at four other institutions.