Marah Brown Rohovit

Marah Brown Rohovit passed away on August 14, 2020. She was born on April 28, 1942 in Arkansas City, Kansas to Lois Florene Travis Brown and Francis Charles Brown.

Marah spent her early childhood on a small farm outside of Arkansas City in south central Kansas. She often talked fondly of her childhood, including warm memories of her Grandma Brown and Grandma Travis, her one room school house and her cow Betsy. In those early years on the farm, she developed a lasting love of animals and nature. She later moved with her family to Anchorage, Alaska and after a brief stint in Topeka, Kansas the family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. She attended South East High School. In 1958, as a teenager of 16, she met David Rohovit. They married in 1963 and had two sons, twins Troy and Trell.  

In 1972, the Rohovit family moved to Salt Lake City to pursue David's career in architecture. Marah was an interior designer and artist and raised her two boys who were her focus and the light of her life. Later, her grandchildren became her passion and she was incredibly proud of their accomplishments. Her grandchildren will always remember the special holidays at her home, including her spectacular Thanksgiving and Easter tables she set every year. She often delivered cookies, cupcakes and gingerbread men to them. They have fond memories of outings including trips to the state fair, Antelope Island to view buffalo, and the Crispy Cream donut factory.

Marah loved music of all kinds, especially the blues. She was an accomplished and award-winning contemporary abstract artist as well as a talented poet. Some highlights of her career include honors and exhibits at the Eccles Art Center, Ogden, UT; the Florence Biennale Exhibit, Florence Italy; the Merit Award at the Spring Salon at the Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT; and a solo exhibition at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Salt Lake City, UT. She also has pieces in the permanent art collections of Utah State and Salt Lake County as well as several Utah Art publications.  In recent years she discovered an additional interest in photography which provided her with yet another way to express her love of nature and exhibit her unique talent and ability to see beauty in the abstract. She would often drive miles on back roads to photograph wild horses as well as bird refuges around the Great Salt Lake. Antelope Island was a special and almost spiritual environment to her which she visited often with her camera.

Select works and a list of her accomplishments can be viewed at the following websites: https://www.marahbrownrohovit.com/home https://www.marahrohovitphotography.com/home

Marah had a strong and powerful zest for life. She had impeccable taste and was incredibly intelligent and observant.  She was a proud liberal and active Democrat, supporting candidates who were willing to challenge the establishment and change the system. She was a lover and protector of animals. She loved the birds in her backyard and nursed many injured wild animals back to health. Over the years, Marah had numerous rescued dogs that she treated as family. 

Marah is preceded in death by her father, Francis Charles Brown, her mother Lois Florene Travis Brown, her brother Larry Brown and her beloved dogs, Gigette, Molly, Sophie, Annie, Wendy and Baby.  She is survived by husband David Rohovit, her sister Yvonne Yost (husband, John), sons Troy Rohovit (wife, Debbie), Trell Rohovit (wife, Jenny Wilson), and grandchildren Taren, Cailey, Zach and Max. 

A family service will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City. She will be put to rest in Overland Park, KS. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a celebration of her life will be held in Spring, 2021. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions to the following charities would be appreciated: 

The American Wild Horse Campaign at https://americanwildhorsecampaign.org/

The Humane Society of Utah at https://www.utahhumane.org/