Brent Reyburn

Brent Randolph Reyburn, 82, of Richmond, RI and formerly of Waterford, CT, died Monday, December 27 at home surrounded by her loving family and her beloved cat, Bella. She was born in Cincinnati, OH on February 11, 1939 to the late John B. and Emily Brent (Laffoon) Randolph. After a time as a stay-at-home mother with young daughters, Brent ventured into business and co-owned The Creative Touch, an arts and crafts store in Niantic, CT for 11 years with a dear family friend. Together they taught many craft classes and shared their expertise with the community. When the store closed, she worked many future years at Filenes Department Store, Pilot’s Point Marina and Wickford Cove Marina, which is what ultimately brought her to Rhode Island. After her retirement from the marina, Brent went to work at Roger Williams Zoo and then the Rhode Island Welcome Center in Richmond, RI, two jobs which brought her great joy. Brent loved to travel and was fortunate enough to take some wonderful trips with a cherished lifelong friend and traveling companion from Ohio. When she lived in CT, she enjoyed spending summer days at Pequot Point Beach in New London and skiing at Okemo Mountain in Vermont where she had a home. Even when she no longer skied, she spent many Thanksgivings with a great circle of friends at the Vermont house. She was a member and former Regent in the Phebe Greene Ward Chapter of the Rhode Island Daughters of the American Revolution (RIDAR). Most recently, Brent sewed over 600 masks for the Chapter to donate to those in need when COVID struck and then sewed extra for friends and family. She was also very involved in the Richmond Senior Center and made many friends there through the years. But her greatest joy was spending time with her daughters, grandchildren and sons-in-law. She loved being a mother, and a Gamma and Gabba as her grandchildren called her. They were the light in her life and her in theirs and she will be greatly missed by them. Brent was a Debutante in 1957, a 1957 graduate of The Masters School, in Dobbs Ferry, NY, and a 1961 graduate of Connecticut College where she earned a BA in Economics. Brent is survived by her daughters, Emily (Mimi) Blay and her husband Alan, of Hope Valley, RI and Lisa Reyburn-Payne and her husband Michael, of Fork MD and her grandchildren, Emily Blay of New York, NY and Jennifer Blay of Hope Valley, RI and Maura and Colin Payne, both of Fork, MD. She was pre-deceased by her former husband, James S. Reyburn, with whom she remained friendly in later years. At Brent’s request, there are no calling hours and a memorial service will be held at a later date this summer. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Animal Rescue, RI an organization dear to Brent’s heart.