Mildred Jean Cooper

Mildred Jean Brown Bennett Cooper, of Centreville, MD, passed away on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at home, surrounded by her loved ones.

She was born in Centreville, MD at her parents’ home to the late Arnold A. Brown, Sr. and late Mildred Teresa Taylor Brown. Jean, as she affectionately called, was the oldest daughter of ten children. Her siblings were Arnold, Jr., James, Shirley, Sylvia, Donald, Doris, Brenda, Constance (Connie) and George (Ricky). She loved and cared for her siblings as though they were her children.

Jean attended the Queen Anne’s County Colored School, which was located near the location of New Life United Methodist Church. She also attended classes in the Nazarite Building on Academy Lane in Centreville.

As a young child, Jean attended St. Paul's AME Church, later renamed Bethel AME Church. She was involved in many organizations of the church such as the Steward Board, the Missionary Society, the Senior Choir, the Kitchen Committee, the Pastors Aid Society, the Lillie Carter Prayer Circle and the Finance Committee. She stated that serving at Bethel was a joy because she felt like she was doing something helpful.
Jean loved to cook and she learned from her mother and it came naturally to her. She used her cooking skills by helping out when the family started their catering business. Her love of cooking would lead her to organize bake sales and fund raising dinners for the Bethel Church and the Relay for Life for Cancer Awareness. She worked for the Queen Anne's County Board of Education in the school cafeteria for 43 years and during the summer, would work at Camp Pecometh. In her younger years, she also worked at Friel's cannery during the corn and tomato seasons. She credits her parents for the example of working hard. Her hobbies were cooking, playing Scrabble, watching cowboys, Gunsmoke was her favorite and watching soap operas. Her favorite snacks were A&W Root beer, Lorna Doone cookies, any type of potato chip, Milky Way Dark and 5th Avenue candy bars. She always had a listening ear for anyone that needed some kind words and understanding. When she was asked which child she loved the most, she would answer whichever one needed love at the time they needed it.

Jean is preceded in death by parents, Arnold, Sr. and Mildred Brown, two sons, Donald and Jerome, four sisters, Shirley, Sylvia, Doris and Constance, three brothers, Arnold, Jr., James and Donald, one great-grandson, CJ Deaton.

Jean leaves to cherish her memories, three daughters, Regina (Missy) Bennett, Anita Lomax (Fred), and Laverne Webb, four sons, Sylvester Wheeler (Liz), Arnold Bennett, James Bennett, Julius Bennett, 21 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren, 44 great-great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-great grandchildren, 1 special first cousin, Niambi Brown Davis, two Godchildren, Harrison Johnson and Rev. Dorothy Sisco, a special great-niece, Tonya Brown and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, cousins and friends and very special friends, Mrs. Bessie Dickerson, Margaret Garcia and Rev. Terry A. Gaddy, four sons of her heart, Tony Reed, Tony Dass and Gregory Elliott and Rev. Albert Jones, Jr..