Abi Brown 1976 – 2019
Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
It is with an incredibly heavy heart that we write about the passing of Abi Brown.
Abi was a consummate HR professional, with many years of HR experience in the AV field. Since 2012 she ran her own very successful business, cleverly called ‘Openingz’. She was an early adopter of twitter in order to promote her business and also had a personal account that documented her love of keeping fit and looking after her body.
Abi was a striking woman, tall, beautiful, athletic with an infectious smile. Everyone she met in person, instantly warmed to her and it was remarkable how she was able to take that with her to social media (if you had not met her in person, her online persona would have summed up exactly who she was, and how likeable she was). Since being diagnosed with cancer, she bravely documented her fight against it online on a daily basis.
Abi loved the AV industry and worked tirelessly to give something back, even in the last year or so where she was in and out of hospital and hospices. Since 2014 she led the Southern UK Women in AV group and held regular meet-ups and networking events. The WAVE group was set up to educate, support, encourage and inspire women in the audiovisual industry through collaboration, research, mentoring and networking opportunities and she did all of that and more! Giving something back to the women in the industry was a real passion of hers.
The AV industry and indeed WAVE will be poorer now that she is no longer with us. It’s probably not customary to be able to say this in an obituary but she really will be missed by many HUNDREDS of people whose lives she touched. Abi fought her battle with cancer with incredible courage and positivity — whether ill or not she was, and always will be, an absolute inspiration to so many.
Her long term partner Steve, informed her friends on Saturday that “Our beautiful Abigail passed away last night, peacefully in her sleep, please know she was surrounded by love and family through this journey. Please keep abi in your heart ? Thanks for all your kindness, support and positive energy”.
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