Gertrude P. Brown

Gertrude “Cookie” Pauline Brown-Underwood was born on January 4th, 1954, to the union of David Brown and Gertrude Elizabeth Wilson-Brown in Los Angeles California. Cookie, as she was nicknamed by her parents due to her sweet nature.  Cookie was raised in the home built by her father and her uncles at 11614 Herrick Avenue, in the city of San Fernando California. As a beautiful soul, she immediately brought joy and laughter to the world around her as a child. During Cookie’s teenage years she attended San Fernando High School and in 1970 she graduated at the age of 16 as an honor student. After graduating high school, Cookie attended Los Angeles Community College. During her years in college, she fell in love with community service, community advocacy, and art. With a deep passion for helping others, Cookie decided to focus her education on nursing studies. In 1974, Cookie obtained her Associates Degree. Upon graduation Cookie attended Northridge University’s nursing program and graduated as a Registered nurse in 1977. This led Cookie to pursue a career in nursing that lasted for 30 years until her retirement. 

In 1979, Cookie met Kenneth Underwood Senior while living in Los Angeles California. Cookie fell in love with Kenneth Underwood Senior, and they became instant best friends. After years of dating, on Valentine’s Day 1982, Gertrude and Kenneth got married and remained married for over 20 years until Kenneth Underwood Senior’s death in 2002. Together they had 3 children, Cherizarr, Chenee, and Kenneth Brown- Underwood. Cookie was a fiercely dedicated mother to all her children, raising all of them to be loving, kind, and hard working. Cookie prided herself in faith, family, education, community service, and artistic expression. Cookie was very passionate about celebrating holidays and enjoying family. Throughout her life, Cookie’s home was a place anyone could get a hot meal and a loving person who was always willing to listen. She also had a passionately fierce side that helped people get back on track. This created a culture of compassion and helping others within her household. She instilled these values not only within her children but also within her family, friends, and community. 

As a woman rooted in faith, Cookie was a dedicated advocate for the less fortunate. She remained a dedicated volunteer at the Saint Vincent DePaul Homeless Shelter in San Diego since the early 1990s. She always looked for ways to help the homeless within San Diego. Looking to improve her community outreach, in 2006 Gertrude returned to San Diego Community College to continue her education and became a licensed chemical dependency counselor. She was able to help rehabilitate many of San Diego’s homeless community working in collaboration with the Saint Vincent DePaul Homeless shelter. Cookie remained a dedicated community advocate until her last breath. Cookie transitioned in her home on March 7, 2022, in San Diego, California while surrounded in love by all three of her children. Now, that Cookie is at peace, she will be joining her Parents David Brown and Gertrude Wilson-Brown, her husband, Kenneth Underwood Senior; her siblings, Gertrude Yvonne Brown, Carl Clifford Brown, and David Charles Brown; her uncles, Samuel Mean Brown and Maurice Brown; aunts, Barbara Blunt and Leola Alfred; and her nephews Quincy Lee Brown and Robert Davis Jr. 

Cookie is survived by her children Cherizarr C. Brown-Underwood, Chenee C. Brown-Underwood and Kenneth B Brown-Underwood; her siblings, Roy Brown-Hancox, Katheryne Brown-Lee, and Consuella Juanita Brown. She is also survived by her uncles, Hugh Brown, Nathaniel Brown; Leon Culpepper, aunts Sylvia Brown, Viola Robbins, Delores Ann Simpson, Ethel Culpepper and, Versie Brown; nephews David T Brown and Brant Lloyd Malcolm Hancox; nieces Nealynn M Slade, Roblynn E Davis, Julisa Hancox, Teresa Thomas, and Jessica Hancox. Lastly, Cookie is survived by her sole grandchild whom she cherished deeply, Kenzli Pauline Denise McClure, daughter of Chenee Underwood. Gertrude “Cookie” Brown-Underwood was blessed with a multitude of siblings, children, nieces, nephews, a grandchild and a host of cousins, grandnephews and grandnieces along with her extended family and a multitude of friends. We will forever remember Cookie’s laughter, love and joy in our hearts. The hole left by her absence will be difficult to fill, but her values and spirit will live on forever among her family, friends and community.

We gotta love each other because we all we got! -Cookie

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gertrude P. Brown, please visit our floral store.