Marie Van Brittan Brown died in Queens, New York, at the age of 76. This date marks the end of the life of an inventor whose work has had a lasting impact on home security technology.

The New York Times reported on Marie Van Brittan Brown and Albert L. Brown's invention in their weekly patents report, including a photo of the Browns. The article quoted Marie Van Brittan Brown saying that her invention would allow a woman home alone to quickly alert the authorities or prevent drug addicts from robbing a doctor's office.