Henderson, NV - Myrtle Jewelle Brown Hyman

Myrtle Jewelle Brown Hyman (Ms. Myrtle) passed peacefully on July 20, 2026, at her home in Henderson, Nevada. Born July 14, 1930, Myrtle was the third of four children of the late Herbert Benjamin Brown Sr. and Mollie L. Jackson Brown of Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Raised in Pine Bluff, Myrtle graduated from Merrill High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (formerly Arkansas AM&N). Representing the school's values and spirit, she was elected and served as Homecoming Queen in 1951. After graduation, she taught health and physical education and coached at her former high school. She later earned a Master of Science degree in Health and Physical Education from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, and subsequently taught health and physical education at Prairie View A & M College in Prairie View, Texas. She went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Myrtle moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1953 and married her high school sweetheart, Firdie W. Hyman, whom she met in her youth in the Arkansas cotton fields. During their 44-year marriage, the couple raised two children: a son, Gregory M. Hyman, and a daughter, Firdina C. Hyman. Myrtle was employed as a coach, athletic director, guidance counselor, assistant principal, and summer school principal with the Milwaukee Public School System (MPS).

In 1990, Myrtle retired from the MPS after 34 years as an educator and relocated to Las Vegas in 1997. Her passion for designing clothing led her to the University of Nevada Las Vegas Fashion Design School, where she received numerous trophies and awards for her creative designs, fashions, and modeling.

Myrtle was an active member of many professional and service organizations. She was a charter member of Delta Eta Chapter (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, a preeminent service-based sorority. As a lifetime member, she was active in the Prairie View Alumnae Chapter, Springfield Alumnae Chapter, Milwaukee Alumnae Chapter, and Las Vegas Alumnae Chapter. Myrtle was an original charter member of the Las Vegas Chapter of The Girl Friends, Incorporated, an organization dedicated to promoting friendships and service among its members and communities. Myrtle was also an active member of Phi Delta Kappa, an international organization supporting teachers and school leaders, and Delta Kappa Gamma, an international society for women educators, where she served as historian and president and contributed to educational and scholarship committees.

Myrtle had an incredibly strong work ethic and began working at a tender age, picking cotton during the summer. As a youngster, she worked as a newspaper girl, delivering newspapers to residents of Pine Bluff. As a teenager, she worked in the law office of her brother-in-law, the late Attorney William Harold Flowers, collecting, and processing information from potential clients.

Myrtle believed in helping those who needed support, and if she was unable to assist personally, she would enlist the support of others. She had a gift for involving people in worthy causes, always finding a job for everyone, and would often put anyone to work, even a five-year-old. She enjoyed gardening and grew both flowers and vegetables. As her health declined, she enlisted the help of nearly any visitor. If visitors knew little about gardening, they could be assured that they would have learned something by the time they left.

Myrtle was passionate about physical and mental health and wellness. For many years, she supported the Women's Health Initiative, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, as a volunteer participant in an observational study. For nearly a decade, she served as a volunteer in the Women's Abuse Center of the Milwaukee Health Department. As a former college track team member, Myrtle advised her out-of-town guests to bring sneakers and exercise gear because physical activity was always on the schedule.

For nearly 30 years, Myrtle was a faithful member of the Green Valley United Methodist Church of Henderson, Nevada. During that time, she served as a trustee, choir member, and participated in the Crafty Ladies Group. She was also a member of the United Methodist Christian Women's Association.

Myrtle will be remembered for her robust energy, forthright candor, charitable disposition, and distinctive fashion sense.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, Firdie W. Hyman; her, sister, Margaret Brown Flowers of Pine Bluff, Arkansas; and two brothers, Herbert Benjamin Brown Jr. of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and Jerald Cecil Brown of St. Paul, Minnesota.

She is survived by her son, Gregory M. Hyman (Nancy) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; her daughter, Dr. Firdina C. Hyman of Henderson, Nevada; her grandson, Joseph Wray of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; three sisters-in-law, Bennie Hyman of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dr. Ladelle Hyman of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Dr. Edith Hyman of Pine Bluff, Arkansas; and many loving nieces, nephews, relatives, and dear friends.

A memorial service celebrating Myrtle's life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Green Valley United Methodist Church, located at 2200 Robindale Road, Henderson, Nevada.