Denise Elizabeth Brown Stiegler

February 19, 1968 - January 10, 2021

Denise Elizabeth Brown Stiegler, age 52, passed away peacefully on January 10, 2021, in Tallahassee, Florida, after a year-long courageous battle with cancer. She was born on February 19, 1968 in Tallahassee to her loving parents, Marilyn Barineau Brown and Gene D. Brown. Denise graduated from Maclay High School in Tallahassee in 1986. She attended Princeton University where she earned a degree from the School of Public and International Affairs. Her first job after college was at Telephone Counseling and Referral Services (TCRS) where she became a supervisor helping those in emotional stress and need. This choice early in her career reflected her caring soul and innate desire to help people. One of her lifelong friends recently wrote that “Denise was truly a beacon of kindness, compassion, and love who always put others first.” After graduating from Princeton, Denise continued her education at FSU, earning a Master of Science in Library and Information Studies. She also taught computer programming and web-design at Lively Technical College. After teaching, Denise accepted a position at Archon Development Corporation designing computer applications, traveling the world to promote the company at trade shows, and managing the organization to ensure the company’s continued success. Denise spent the last two years of her professional career as CEO of the St. George Island Water System, assisting her father’s transition into retirement. Denise was preceded in death by both her maternal grandparents, Elizabeth Case Barineau and Ernest Barineau, and her paternal grandparents, Alice Brown Melton and John D. Melton. She is survived by her devoted husband, Stephen Stiegler, who has been not only the love of her life, her rock, her soul mate and her best friend, but her constant companion and caretaker during the course of this vicious illness and time of uncertainty. She leaves behind two siblings; her loving sister, Suzie Brown Vazquez (Angel), and their children, Tyler, Matthew, and Ellie; and her brother, Reed Brown (Ashley), and their children, Garrett, Eli, and Ansley. Denise, being the first grandchild born into her mother’s family of six sisters, gave her a very special place in the hearts of her aunts, Eddy B. Harllee, Sharon B. Abbott, Kathy B. Johnson, Brenda B. Johnson, and Vicki B. Brinkley (deceased). She was adored by all. She leaves behind numerous cousins and their families, many dear friends, and was a much beloved addition to Stephen’s extended family in New Orleans and beyond. Denise was a devoted aunt to her “niephs”- a word she created in frustration to simultaneously describe her cherished niece and nephews. She recognized that there is a word for brothers and sisters, “siblings,” for mothers and fathers, “parents,” and a gender neutral word denoting “cousins.” She pointed out that there is no one word in the English language to describe the nieces and nephews that she so adored, so she made up her own. Denise was an intensely private person who cherished the close bond she had with her husband, with her family, and in her intimate friendships. As another lifelong family friend said this week: “Denise was special and exceptional in so many ways.” She was a kind, beautiful, thoughtful, deeply intelligent, and independent woman taken from this earth way too soon. There is a hole in the hearts of all who knew her. We will cherish her memory forever. Because of the pandemic no public services will be held at this time, but the family welcomes all those who knew and loved Denise to send a thoughtful, sweet, and/or fun memory of her to be shared at her celebration of life to take place at a later date. Please send your thoughts, memories, and/or anecdotes to: [email protected] Denise was deeply passionate about social, political and economic issues. In lieu of additional flowers or gifts, please send memorial contributions in her honor to the following public and charitable organizations: 1) https://wfsu.org/support/honor-memorial-giving/ Denise believed in the importance of information, education, and free access to public news. Her favorite source of public news information was National Public Radio. 2) https://www.211bigbend.org/donate 211 is the present equivalent of TCRS, the company for which Denise worked with great passion early in her career in an effort to help those in emotional stress and need. At the end of her life Denise still maintained close friendships and ties within the organization and we know she would be honored to have donations made to them in her memory. Jackie Fulford and James Sircy of Young Fulford Funeral Home and Crematory are assisting the family with the arrangements.