Barbara Ann Preston Brown, &uot;Barbara Ann Roper,&uot; 66, suddenly passed away on Sunday, September 12, 2004 at St. Vincents’ Medical Center in Manhattan, where her family and friends had rushed to be by her side.

She was born Barbara Ann Roper in Brooklyn, NY on June 17, 1938, but was raised in Suffolk until the age of 14 when her family moved to New York’s Greenwich Village. Her parents Myrtis and Kennard S. Roper II, brother Kennard S. Roper III and first husband, Harry Foster Preston III predeceased Barbara.

She leaves behind her beloved present husband Harlan Douglas Brown Sr., sisters Nikki Jill Jones of New York and Renee’ Roper Jackson of Suffolk, as well as five adult children, her sons Harry, Anthony, Scott and Michael Preston and only one daughter Traci Preston. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren, one great grandson, one great grandson, one great grandchild on the way; six stepchildren and three step grand children.

In addition to being a wonderful wife, mother and sister, she had an exemplary career as an administrative coordinator of New York University Medical School Residency Program. Upon her retirement from NYU in 1992, she become the owner operator of her dream enterprise, a bookstore named &uot;Books in the Black and Stuff like that,&uot; to be regarded by its customers as an &uot;oasis for the soul.&uot; The bookstore was established in Columbia, South Carolina where her eldest son Harry S. Preston, IV and family already lived. After five years, she opted to return to New York where she married Harlan in 1998.

Over the years, Barbara was fully involved in a host of creative activities. She was a long time member of the Innermost Society, a performance group whose music, dance and poetry were always well received wherever they performed.

In addition, she had always remained an avid reader and book club member, jazz enthusiast and political activist especially in the local Democratic Club.

All of us who knew Barbara’s creative energy and loving nature will hold her spirit in our hearts forever.

Information supplied by Crocker Funeral Home. The funeral and burial were held in new York.