Moreau Integration 1: Eulogy  Victoria Gordon-Brown 

Death of a desert daffodil 
 
‘Memento mori.’1 Wise words once said by Sister Alethia, a nun at the Daughters of St Paul 
convent, but embodied by Victoria Gordon-Brown. Victoria was very aware of her mortality so 
tried to take advantage of every moment of life that she had. She filled her days with family, 
friends, and fun, seeking out adventure and, in doing so, making meaningful connections along 
the way. She was known for being the life of the party but always willing to pause the fun if one 
of her friends was in need. These moments of caring for those she cared deeply about were 
what Victoria found to be the most important. 
 
Whilst she was open, caring, and accepting of others, she was also a staunch defender of what 
she believed in. Inspired by figures such as Tia B. Paulette, Founding President of the Notre 
Dame Law School’s Exoneration Project,2 she never shied away from an opportunity to fight for 
others’ rights, for example, through her dedication to promoting conversations about sexual 
health and sexual health rights, like bodily autonomy. In this way, she worked to become 
someone others could and would look to for inspiration. In doing so, she hoped to build a more 
accommodating world that future generations could continue to nurture and cultivate. 
 
Now we all know Victoria and what she does. Everything. She literally would not sit still. A good 
day for her was filled with all the activities she could possibly fit in. However, even though she 
was very active, she also enjoyed down time to rest and recover. Kevin Kelly was one of her 
inspirations for doing this. Kelly’s own decision to ‘continue to keep the cornucopia of 
technology at arm’s length so that I can more easily remember who I am,’3 inspired Victoria to 
try to do the same. With these words in mind, she took time for herself without technology to 
meditate, colour, journal and do yoga to ensure she found a balance between looking after 
herself and others – of course, in the Victoria way, her rest involved doing things still. I do not 
even think she knew what Netflix was! In the ‘down time’ that she gave herself, she tried to 
reflect in a constructive way so that it would help her improve and build a positive mindset – 
classic Victoria. This is why she asked herself ‘what’ questions instead of ‘why’ questions.4 In 
questioning what she was feeling and what it was that made her feel this way, she was able to 
consider what she valued in life, like her loved ones, time outdoors, learning and quizzes. 
 
Now Victoria loved quizzes. She leapt at chances to take quizzes, whether they be general 
knowledge, personality, or career oriented. When given Moreau quizzes, like ‘The 7 Clues,’5 she 
keenly engaged her critical thinking skills, intrigued by what answers each question might lead 
her to. Through her participation in numerous such quizzes, she was able to grasp what her 

 
1 (Moreau FYE Week 3: The NYT: Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die) 
2 (Moreau FYE Week 2: the Notre Dame Alumni Association’s “Domer Dozen.”) 
3 (Moreau FYE Week 1: Why we need to slow down our lives; Pico Iyer) 
4 (Moreau FYE Week 6: The Right Way to be Introspective; Tasha Eurich, TED Conferences) 
5 (Moreau FYE Week 4: The 7 Clues: An Interactive Assessment Activity; Meruelo Family Center 
for Career Development) 
 



Moreau Integration 1: Eulogy  Victoria Gordon-Brown 

career goals were and how she could fulfil these. And fulfil these she did. Her career ambitions 
were matched only by her dedication to her work, putting the same energy into each project as 
she did when helping her friends. 
 
Victoria’s thorough enjoyment of working hard was clear to those who loved her. Her brother 
remembers conversations6 in which he specifically told her that, no matter what field she 
wanted to go into, she had to work with people because that was where she thrived. Whilst she 
was confident and sociable by nature, she always remembered His Holiness Pope Francis’ 
words that ‘life is about interactions.’7 These words inspired her to be inclusive and value all the 
interactions she had and the diverse people she had them with. She loved learning about other 
cultures and people’s lives, and, if needed, help support them. Her brother also noted this 
giving nature and, as I said, her eagerness to get involved in any and everything she could. 
When talking to him, he said that he wished that she had had more time as there was still much 
she wanted to do, but regardless of this, when she passed, she felt like she had lived her life 
well. 
 
Victoria will be remembered for the joy she brought to those around her, whether that be from 
smiling at a stranger, hugging a friend who needed it, or sharing in others’ successes. Her time 
on this earth was short-lived but well-lived. She accomplished a lot in both her career and her 
personal life and her legacy will live on. Her strong moral compass and compassion for those 
around her will be at the core of all of our memories of her. She was not always perfect, in fact, 
sometimes she was far from it, but she always tried her best to meet the high standards that 
she would set for herself. 
 
A bright light in the dark, knowing Victoria was like finding a daffodil in a dessert: unexpected 
and not necessarily what you asked for, but what you did not know you needed. Although she 
was taken from us in a most unexpected way, in some ways, it is what you would expect.  
 
Rest in peace Victoria, may your life’s joy and fulfilment continue to permeate the lives of those 
with whom you connected and, in doing so, may your memory live on. You will be missed by us 
all. 

 
6 (Moreau FYE Week 5: Week 5 Discernment Conversation Activity; Conversation with my 
brother) 
7 (Moreau FYE Week 7: Why the only future worth building includes everyone; His Holiness 
Pope Francis, TED Conferences)