Chloe May Brown

Chloe May BrownMay 1, 1998-September 26, 2026

Chloe May Brown was born on May 1, 1998, in Los Angeles, California, five weeks early at just 5 pounds, 1 ounce, earning her middle name, “May.” She passed away peacefully in her sleep on September 26, 2026, in Rancho Cordova, California.

After spending her early years in Southern California, Chloe grew up along the Monterey Bay, a place she proudly called home. She attended Aptos High School, where she served as Vice President of the Migrant Student Union and delivered the commencement address in Spanish, a language she had mastered in elementary school while embracing her LatinX heritage.

Chloe’s home away from home was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. As a Teen Conservation Leader and coach in its Young Women in Science summer camp, she helped inspire disadvantaged girls to explore science. The Aquarium helped shape her dream of becoming a marine scientist, which she studied at Boston University. There, she discovered a passion for environmental policy and using social media to inspire young people. Her work earned her the 2019 Paul Walker Foundation Scholarship.

Chloe was a champion of the ocean and the environment who lived by her values. Through @openoceanminded, she encouraged others to care for the planet and themselves. She organized beach cleanups, avoided single-use plastics, supported refillable products, repurposed used items, and even spoke before the California Legislature about the environmental impact of default paper receipts. On our last weekend together, she organized 80 adults and children with Save Our Shores to clean Sunset Beach.

She also had a special place in her heart for animals, especially those others might overlook. She rescued a bleeding turtle near our Tujunga home before her first birthday, saved a tiny kitten who became our beloved Chase for more than 20 years, and loved her spirited husky, Kona, and inseparable German Pinscher, Eva. We still have Kona and Eva with us, and Eva is patiently waiting for Chloe to come through the door.

Most of all, Chloe loved people. She loved her boyfriend, Angel Rico, and his family; adventures with friends; camping, tailgates and concerts; and exploring the world. She traveled to China at age 10, toured Europe at 16, and later studied in Belize, Honduras and New Zealand. She dreamed of visiting every National Park and seeing as much of the world as possible. She loved helping others, including local political leaders whose campaigns she supported, and she embraced people as her authentic self.

What we will miss most is how thoughtfully she stayed connected to those she loved. Chloe sent postcards from her travels—or simply to say “I love you” after a weekend visit. Her 97-year-old grandmother especially treasured these surprises in the mail.

As her “Pops,” sharing a love of Speed Racer, I lost not only my daughter but my best friend. I had looked forward to spending more time with Chloe as my career wound down and helping her navigate the future. For my birthday, she gave me a journal titled Tell Me Your Life Story, Dad. I was filling it out for her, hoping to return it at Christmas. Now, I can only look at it and cry.

Chloe is survived by her boyfriend, Angel Rico; her mother, Sylvia Ascencio-Brown; her father, Jack Brown; her grandmother, Patricia Willard; her “Aunties,” Lisa Ortiz and April Ortiz; and the many relatives, neighbors, coworkers, volunteers, friends and loved ones whose lives she touched.

Although our hearts are broken, we find comfort in remembering our last happy moments together: an impromptu backyard barbecue for Angel’s birthday just two weeks before she passed, and our final beach cleanup, where Chloe challenged her parents to see who could collect the most trash. We will forever cherish our car karaoke, especially singing Twenty One Pilots’ “Tear in My Heart” with our special dance on the way to volunteer at the Aquarium.

We hope those who knew Chloe will allow themselves to grieve, but also remember the moments that make them smile. Tears are simply love finding a way to express itself.

“Be the change you want to sea” and “Do Good” were more than phrases to Chloe; they were the way she lived. We hope her legacy inspires others to learn about a sea creature, read a book, help someone, protect the environment, and take care of themselves. Chloe taught us more about life than we could ever have taught ourselves.

We will hold a burial at sea and a celebration of life in Santa Cruz, with details to follow. Those wishing to honor Chloe may consider supporting the organizations she loved:

● Monterey Bay Aquarium: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/support-us/ways-to-give● Save Our Shores: https://saveourshores.org/give/● Paul Walker Foundation: https://paulwalkerfoundation.org/

Chloe,

We cannot express what an honor it has been to be your parents. From rushing through Los Angeles traffic on the morning of May 1, 1998, to meet you, you forever changed our lives. Thank you for sharing your life with us.

We will always cherish your smile, your laugh, your beautiful voice, your thoughtful letters and postcards, the phone calls just to catch up, and the joy and purpose you brought into our lives. We are forever grateful for our time with you and for the way you lived life to the fullest.

We are amazed by the many lives you touched. Our goal now is to keep your spirit alive through our hearts and actions for as long as we can.

You were always the smartest and most beautiful person we ever had the pleasure of knowing.

We love you!

Mom and Pops

Mehl’s Colonial Chapel was entrusted with the arrangements.