Constance "Connie" Marie Kenney Nelson-Brown

Constance “Connie” Marie Kenney Nelson-Brown, 93, passed away on March 11, 2026, at Brookdale South Bay in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, following a brief illness. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, and raised in Ocean Grove in Swansea, she spent the rest of her life on Aquidneck Island. Early in her career she worked for famed mid-century modern furniture designer Harvey Probber before devoting herself to administrative roles in the medical field. She enjoyed a 28-year career as Financial Aid Director for the Newport Hospital School of Nursing, then returned from retirement to serve in medical records for Dr. Rudolph and later as Admissions Officer for the Carriage House Nursing Home.

Connie volunteered countless hours as a docent at Blithewold Manor in Bristol, as well as with the NHSN Alumni Association and Newport Hospital. She was known for her kindness, generosity, and vibrant personality. She possessed a beautiful singing voice that she shared for many years with the Middletown and Portsmouth Senior Center Choirs and the esteemed Navy Choristers. Connie loved Frank Sinatra’s music, classic comedies, and traveling across the country in a camper with her family. A devoted animal lover, she cherished many beloved pets over the years. Some of her favorite adventures were the weeks she and her husband’s family spent sailing the Caribbean aboard large rented sailboats. Above all, she was a charitable woman who found her greatest joy in spending time with family.

Connie was predeceased by her husband Paul Nelson, her second husband Captain Thomas A. Brown, Ret. USN, her stepchildren Curtis Brown and Leslie McFall, her brother Thomas Kenney, several nieces and nephews, and her granddaughter Carrigan Nelson of Portsmouth. She is survived by her son Paul E. Nelson II (Tammy) and grandson Sawyer Nelson of Portsmouth, her stepson Gregory Brown (Martha) of Nebraska, and her daughter-in-law’s sister Bonnie Lybarger (Rodney) of Foster and her son Warren. A private Celebration of Life will be held later this spring.