Hampshire College Mourns Longtime Former Director of the Early Learning Center Lynne Brill

Born and raised in Albany, Brill followed in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother by entering Smith College. After graduation, she moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where in 1970 she met her husband-to-be, Jonathan Brill, beginning a loving, partnership of 55 years. In 1976, the couple settled in the Pioneer Valley, and she became director of Smith’s Early Childhood Center. She held that role for 10 years, then served as director of the Hampshire College Early Learning Center (ELC) for more than two decades.

Across her career, Brill guided countless children and families with wisdom, warmth, and grace. She had an extraordinary gift for recognizing and celebrating the individuality of each child, and offered steady support to parents and colleagues. A devoted mentor, she encouraged her teachers with patience and kindness, fostering a rich and creative environment in which everyone felt safe and loved. Music was an integral component of Brill’s life, and at work, “music day” became a beloved tradition. She would sit with her guitar, surrounded by children from infants to preschoolers, and fill the room with song.

“I met Lynne as a first-year student when I was hired to work at the Hampshire College Children’s Center (later named the Early Learning Center),” said alum Josiah Litant 00F, shown in the photo with Brill above. “It was because of Lynne’s encouragement and support that I applied for and received my certification as a preschool teacher in the state of Massachusetts. She modeled kindness, empathy, creativity, and belief in the power, intelligence, capability, and importance of our youngest children. She was a role model, an inspiration, an empathic listener, and a dear friend.”

Hampshire grad Kim Lee Ripley 90F, ELC infant teacher since 1999, said, “I will always imagine Lynne with a guitar in hand and a smile on her face. I met her in the fall of 1990, when I started at Hampshire College, and she hired me to work at the ELC. We were reintroduced when she hired me to be the full-time co-lead teacher in the infant room in fall of 1999, still smiling and still singing. Lynne supported staff, families, and students from infancy to college age with care and curiosity, as well as little love notes in our mailboxes on a regular basis. Lynne was great with boundaries and mentored so many in how to navigate a care profession with empathy, attention, and without burning out — a huge task!”

“I recall my first supervisory meeting, which I expected was to find fault in my work,” said Kate Nicolaou, ELC toddler teacher since 2003, “but Lynn gently smiled and explained that she just wanted to hear how things were feeling for me. . . . My career and personhood were shaped by Lynne even after her retirement, as she continued sharing notes with us about music and travel and art. Lynne was a person who embraced her life and those around her with great compassion and conviction. She will be greatly missed. I think that autocorrect might be right in correcting Lynne’s name to ‘Lynne Brilliant.’”

Brill’s passion for music flourished over four decades of singing with such ensembles as the Springfield Symphony Chorus, the Hartford Symphony Chorale, and Northampton’s Rock Voices. Her joyful spirit and enthusiasm could be heard in every note she sang and seen in the deep friendships she formed within her musical communities. Lynne carried that same spirit into her social world. She delighted in connecting with others and brought light and energy to all her relationships. As one friend said, “Lynne spread her love just by being in the presence of other people — no words needed.”

Banner image courtesy of Josiah Litant. Second photo of Lynne with Emma, Cecelia, and Piper courtesy of Kim Ripley.