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Alice "Pat" Rice Capson Brown, a former Salt Lake Tribune columnist and lifestyle writer, died July 16.

She was 91.

Born Alice Rice in Farmington, she was one of eight children. She worked on the family farm before graduating from Davis High, where she served as student-body vice president, and later graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor's degree in English. Three decades later, Capson Brown returned to the U to earn a master's in fine arts.

Capson Brown served as public information director for the American Cancer Society of Utah and was an administrative assistant in the Holy Cross Hospital Foundation.

She worked at the Tribune for a decade, beginning in 1988, where she wrote a weekly column, as well as lifestyle stories, including travel pieces and book reviews.

Her obituary in The Tribune, published Saturday, said working at The Tribune was her "dream job."

She had a lifelong love of writing and newspapers, penning a column in 1998 that was an ode to her "morning fix" of a cup of coffee and the paper.

"I can't imagine life without newspapers," it began, and went on to express her fear that television and other electronic media would prove more addictive than "the crackle of paper, the ink on my hands."

Tribune columnist Paul Rolly got to know Pat when she first came to the Tribune. "As a rookie, she was quite a bit older than most of us in the newsroom. But she fit in right away — not only socially, but she distinguished herself as a very good writer among a talented group in our features section."

Rolly recalled her "passion for life," and recounted when, in her 70s, she fell in love and got married. Soon after, she and her new husband were dining at Sundance and "Robert Redford noticed them and was so touched by their obvious love for each other that he sent them over a bottle of wine," Rolly said.

Judy Rollins, who was her editor at The Tribune, said she has "really fond memories of Pat. She was a lot of fun to be around. Charming. Knew Utah very well."

When it came to being the Tribune's "society writer," that knowledge served her — and her readers — well."She was a bright light in a business that can oftentimes be kind of dark."

Capson Brown's concern for the potential demise of newspapers generally became personal with the ownership turmoil and cuts at The Tribune in recent years.

As recently as last month, Capson Brown wrote a letter to the editor expressing relief for Paul Huntsman's purchase of "my beloved Tribune," and renewed hope for its future.

She leaves behind four children — Robert, Patrice, Todd and Jennifer — and five grandchildren. She called her family her "proudest legacy," and family members wrote in her obituary that they will remember and celebrate Capson Brown for "her intellectual curiosity, her love of art and literature, her regular letters to the editor, and her legendary banana cream pie."

A memorial will be held Aug. 20 at 3 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church, 569 S. 1300 East in Salt Lake City.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks those wishing to make contributions to do so in Capson Brown's name to the First Unitarian Church.