Ms. Dedra "Dee Dee" Brown Stephens passed on Friday, December 11, 2020 at Alamance Health Center in Burlington, North Carolina.  Graveside services will be held privately at Camp Springs United Methodist Church.  A public viewing will be held on Thursday, December 17, 2020 from 1:00 until 7:00 p.m. at McLaurin Memorial Chapel.

Dedra Michelle Claudette Brown Stephens, affectionately known as "Dee-Dee", was born on March 2, 1962 in Reidsville, North Carolina. The offspring of the late Arthur Brown and Anna Bolden Brown, Dedra was the youngest of the three children born to this union.  On Friday morning, December 11, 2020 at the Alamance Healthcare Center in Burlington, North Carolina, Dedra was called home to be with the Lord.

At an early age, Dedra professed her faith in Christ and became a resolute member of Camp Springs United Methodist Church. She maintained her membership and supported various ministries of the church, even while living in another city.

Dedra was educated in the public schools of Rockingham County and graduated in the class of 1980 from Reidsville Senior High School.  There, she was a honor student and participated in various clubs and organizations.  After high school graduation, Dedra continued her education at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C.  Furthering her studies, she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education in 1984.  As she matriculated at JCSU, she was crowned Miss Freshman Class. Her classmates knew her to be smart, caring and generous. She would bring students home that lived far away during school breaks. They only had to promise to attend Camp Springs UMC on Sunday.  She was revered as a royal classmate attending homecomings year after year and was still referenced as the 1980 Freshman Queen.  Dedra was a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  She was loved by her peers, College professors, faculty, and staff.

Upon graduation, Dedra spent a short time in Boca Rotan, Florida before moving to College Park, Georgia, which became her home for over 30 years. She was employed as an educator for the Clayton County School System and was well respected and acknowledged for being an exemplary and outstanding teacher.  Returning home to Reidsville in 2018, she worked as a substitute teacher for Rockingham County Schools where she became vested in her students' academic success and was very proud of their growth and development.

Dedra loved traveling and experienced travel across the United States and learned the routes of various side roads and highways better than any navigation system.

Preceding Dedra in death was her father, Arthur Wilson Brown; and her brother, Arthur Aloysius Brown.

Dedra leaves to celebrate her life, her beloved mother, Anna Brown, of Reidsville, NC; sister, Valgene Brown Graves (Rev. Donnie Graves), of Union City, GA; one nephew, Loyte' J. Spratley of Greensboro, NC, that she passionately adored; a niece, Victorri J. Taylor of Raleigh, NC, who was the apple of her eye; a devoted auntie, Myrna A. White, of Reidsville, NC; uncle William H. Brown (Elsie), of Browns Summit, NC; special cousins, Twanjua L. Porter (Patrick) and Jordan Porter, all of Glendale, AZ; and Jean (Robert) Malloy, of Durham, NC who spent every Thanksgiving and Christmas with the family in Reidsville; close friends Tammera Vallier, of Marietta, GA and Nanette Smith, of Greensboro, NC; and a host of other loving uncles, aunts, cousins, other relatives and friends.

McLaurin Funeral Home is serving the family.  Covid-19 precautions will be followed with social distancing, masks and sanitizing required.  You may connect to the Virtual services via teleconference call by dialing (701) 802-5263 and then access code 6545855# or FaceBook livestreaming via McLaurin Funeral Home's FB page.