Older Sister Of Gov. Jerry Brown Dies

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Cynthia Kelly, the older sister of Gov. Jerry Brown who had a zest for life, has died, his office said Monday. She was 81.

Brown's office also released a proclamation from Oct. 19, 2013, her 80th birthday, which Brown had declared Cynthia Kelly Day.

He said his sister loved parties and travel, and was a lively force who "took San Francisco - and every other place she visited - by storm with her boundless energy and enthusiasm."

Kelly, the second-born daughter of former Gov. Pat Brown and his wife Bernice, attended West Portal Elementary School in San Francisco and later graduated from San Jose State University with a teaching credential, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which reported that Kelly died Sunday in San Francisco after a brief illness.

Pat and Bernice Brown had three daughters and a son.

In his proclamation, the governor said Kelly and her husband created a lively home at the San Francisco address where he and his siblings were raised, "and there entertained many friends and hosted countless family gatherings and countless campaign events for politicians - related and unrelated."

She served on the boards of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Modern Art Council of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She also was an avid tennis player who played well into her 70s.

"From West Portal in the 40s, to yesterday in the hospital, my sister Cynthia had an infectious smile that would light up any room," Brown said in the statement released Monday. "She loved to be with her friends and family, and was with them to the very end."

In addition to her three siblings, Kelly is survived by her husband of 58 years, Joe Kelly, four daughters and 11 grandchildren.

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