Elaine Harriet Brown, 75, passed away on February 22, 2021 after a hard-fought battle with kidney cancer.
The daughter of the late Abraham (“Jack”) and Anna (Schwartz) Pogostin , she was born Elaine Harriett Pogostin in Bronx, New York and spent her childhood in Yonkers and Mt. Vernon, New York. She attended AB Davis High School.
Elaine graduated Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. From there, she moved to the Washington D.C. area at age 22 to start her 40-year career as a analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency, focusing on economics in China, Japan, Korea and Indonesia. She worked on the Tokyo Round of the GATT negotiations during the Carter Administration. She was referred to amongst her peers as the “econometric angel” for her ability to reduce complicated economic processes and reams of statistics to their essential elements in mathematical terms. She obtained a master’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland in 1971.
In 1991 and 1992, she took a temporary assignment as a staff economist for the then United States Trade Representative Carla Hill, providing economic analysis on NAFTA and the Uruguay round negotiations. With the establishment of the National Economic Council during the Clinton Administration, she provided direct support to the NEC on whether to renew China’s “most favored nation” status.
After retirement, Elaine volunteered at The Kennedy Center to further her deep love of the arts. She was also active in the Jewish community for both the Har Shalom and Temple Micah congregations.
In 1969, Elaine married Marvin Brown and they were together until Marv’s death in 2014. She is survived by her daughter Leslie (Aaron Parness) Brown, her grandson Bailey Parness, her brother Joseph (Judy Cohn) Pogostin, her sister Alice (Michael) Adams, her niece Lisa, her nephews Doug, Richard, and Marc and their families, a slew of Pogostin and Schwartz cousins, and many dear friends, including “Paul’s List.”
The funeral and burial is at 11am EST on Sunday, February 28, 2021 at the Judean Memorial Gardens in Olney, Maryland. Due to current Covid restrictions on in-person gatherings, the funeral is private. The family welcomes Elaine’s loved ones to participate in a virtual shiva scheduled for Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 7pm. Log-in details are: https://zoom.us/j/95492738184?pwd=UmV5bUhheXFwQyt2RGVXdnkvMmloQT09
Meeting ID: 954 9273 8184
Passcode: Shiva
Dial by your location (please note: no passcode needed for dial-ins)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Donations may be made in Elaine’s memory to the following organizations: Capital Caring Hospice, Temple Micah, American Cancer Society, and The Kennedy Center.
16225 Batchellors Forest Road, Olney, MD 20832
02/28/2021
11:00am -
I was saddened to learn of Elaine’s passing. Elaine and I grew up around the corner from each other in Mount Vernon, NY. I was two years older than her, but we had many mutual friends in high school, and I spent lots of time talking with her, about everything. She was one of the nicest, most interesting children in town. She had a lively, interesting, mind and kind laughter. I wish I had kept up with her after high school, but she went to Wellesley, and I went to Columbia, where the wrestling team took up all my non-studying time and energy. Years later, I learned we were fellow towns-folk in Washington, and that she had a distinguished career at the CIA. I am sorry we did not manage to connect. But what was heartwarming was to read about how full, rich and meaningful her whole life was, and how she enriched the lives of others. Kinds regards to you all, her family.
Sharing your sadness as you remember your love one. May you draw comfort from God as he help you to cope with the loss of a wonderful person. Our condolences.
Dear Leslie,
I wanted to let you know how sorry I am to hear of your mother’s illness and of her passsing. Your mother was a truly extraordinary woman. I spend a number of years working with her every week and the Kennedy Center. She delighted me with her stories of her life, and countless stories of her family. She was always so proud to speak about you, your achievements and how much she loved you and your dad. I could not wait each week to chat with her about travel, art, antiques, NYC, opera and dance. Her brilliant intellect was infectious and entertained me for hours! I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know her. She is a friend that I will never forget. I wish you strength as you mourn her loss and I hope your wonderful memories of her will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Elaine was always cheerful and a joy to be around. Evertytime I came to visit she made us feel special.
She’s at rest now my life is richer for knowing Elaine. When ever I came to visit she was exciting to be with.
We especially enjoyed seeing Elaine at the annual “Pogostin Cousins Club”. When she spoke to you, you knew she was truly interested in catching up and hearing what you had to say. Although we only saw each other once a year, many times she’d follow up on what we had previously discussed. She will surely be missed!