Tonia “Toni” Brown Alexander (or Aunt Toni) is Kirby’s maternal aunt. One of Leroy’s Three Angels, she is a Customer Development Analyst for Hanesbrands, managing retail partnerships with major chains like Walmart. She is also known for her hand-made crochet hats and blankets, which have been featured at local markets, including events at the Rodale Institute.
Kirby considers Toni’s presence throughout his upbringing formative to his development. He admires her success in the corporate world despite never earning a college degree. Toni’s son Josh and granddaughter Kenzie were also key figures in Kirby’s life — the two lived with the Sibiskis for a brief period during his late high school and early college years.
Background
Toni is the eldest daughter of Leroy “Jock” Brown and Jacqueline “Jackie” Winter Brown, and the older sister of Shawn and Shannon (Kirby’s mother). She is married to Ron and is the mother of Josh Alexander and grandmother (“Bubbie”) to his daughter Kenzie.
She was born after Leroy returned home from Plymouth, England, where he met Jackie. The couple married in 1949 and had Toni in the years that followed. After his friend convinced him to join the Navy Reserves, Leroy was soon called up for deployment for Korea. In the years Toni grew up, Leroy became a Navy Frogman. The family would settle down once the war ended, and the Browns would give birth to two more girls.
Toni once recalled that, when she was in school, she felt she needed to hide the traces of her PA Dutch accent (courtesy of Leroy) to avoid being teased by other kids.
Toni’s career path reflects the pragmatic ethic that runs through the Brown family — self-made, disciplined, and loyal. Without formal higher education, she advanced through persistence and adaptability, securing a long-term position with Hanesbrands and later developing strong relationships with retail partners in Bentonville, Arkansas, near Walmart headquarters.
Influence on Kirby
Toni was a frequent presence throughout Kirby’s life. When she lived in Kutztown, Kirby remembers being fascinated by a snow globe in her house. She was a fixture at Brown summer trips to Ocean City, MD, holidays, and family dinners at local favorites like the Dryville Hotel. Even when work required her to relocate, she returned often.
When she couldn’t make it home for Christmas, the family celebrated “Toni-mas,” a second holiday in her honor. One Christmas Eve, she described Kirby as “very family-oriented,” a comment that stayed with him.
Toni often gifted Kirby and his brother Beckham Vanilla Visa cards for Christmas – as well as plain white Hanes shirts, which became a staple of Kirby’s wardrobe through college and beyond. “I probably wore one every day,” he later reflected — a quiet symbol of her practicality and care.
By 2015, her career had taken her to North Carolina. Kirby, visiting his then-girlfriend Kat in Greensboro, met Toni and Ron for dinner during his first summer visit.
After the passing of Leroy and Jackie, Toni’s home in Hamburg became the new gathering place for Brown family holidays. She also took on many of the legal and financial responsibilities that followed her parents’ passing — a role Kirby remains deeply grateful for.