Lashawn (Brand) Penza

Lashawn Penza, age 58 of 114 Lightwood Lane, Sanford, NC transitioned into eternal rest on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, at UNC Hospital, Chapel Hill, NC.

Lashawn Penza was born to James E. Brand, Sr., and Pattie M. Bell April 12, 1962 in Yonkers, New York. She transitioned from this earthly life to her eternal rest on Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at UNC Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC following a brief illness. She was preceded in death by a brother, James E. Brand, Jr. of Yonkers, New York.

Lashawn was a dedicated home health care worker for Shipman Health Care in Sanford, NC. She was attentive to her patients to ensure that their comfort and needs were always met.

Her passion was cooking for family and friends. Scrumptious food aplenty would be her signature preparation at Thanksgiving and the Christmas Holidays. Her mother could always look forward to a Sunday call from Lashawn to come to dinner or pick up a meal to-go.

Lashawn was a member of First Calvary Missionary Baptist Church.  Before the coronavirus pandemic, she attended the Wednesday noonday Bible Study where she often gave her testimony about her prior illness.

Those left to cherish her memory are the following: her father, James E. Brand, Sr. (Henrietta), of Sleepy Hollow, NY; her mother, Pattie M. Bell of Siler City, NC; her daughter, Courtney Williams of Atlanta, GA; her precious adopted son, Johnnie Jones of Yonkers, NY; her brother, Wendell Brand of Sleepy Hollow, NY; two sisters, April Best of Elmsworth, NY, and Ivell Brand of Charlotte, NC; her grandchildren, Darrius Penza of Atlanta, GA, Alexius Williams of Sanford, NC; Destinyce and Ashlyn Williams of Atlanta, GA; Jeremiah Whack, Johnnie Jones, Jr., Ja’Liyah Jones and Ja’Kaylah Jones of Sanford, NC; Noah and London Jones of Charleston, SC;  a goddaughter, Amirra Smith of Cameron, NC. She also leaves her aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Professional Services Entrusted to Knotts Funeral Home, Sanford

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