Brenda Joyce Young

Mrs. Brenda Joyce Young passed peacefully at WellStar Community Hospice on May 14, 2023. She was 67 years old. Brenda was born on October 13, 1955. She is survived by her loving husband of 33 years, Damon Young. Brenda is lovingly remembered by her daughter, Laigha Young; sister, Zeta Freeman; and brother, Christopher Kenner. The Life of a Rebel! On October 13, 1955, at Hugh Spalding Hospital, Grady Memorial Hospital’s African American facility (Georgia was still highly segregated), in Atlanta, GA, Mrs. Christine Kenner with a loving contribution from Mr. James Kenner gave birth to Ms. Brenda Joyce Kenner. And so, the story of a unlikely rebel’s life begins. At a very early age, there were signs of a rebel spirit. Fights were always finished, particularly if they weren’t started. Whether it was hair-pulling school bullies that she knocked out with Lincoln logs, or scuffles with siblings and cousins, this child did have fire. After a few years at the local public school and continuing to shut down bullies, Brenda told her parents that she didn’t like it and wouldn’t go back. Opting to hide in the oak tree behind the house, she waited them out until they agreed to a transfer. So, with the help of the local Catholic Church, Brenda, along with her younger sister Zeta, received a scholarship to attend the local K-8 Catholic private school. Throughout her time in Catholic school, she also participated in Girls Scouts of the United States of America. As a Girl Scout, she completed the Marian Medal program (receiving the Medal from the Archbishop) which enables young girls to gain an understanding of Virgin Mary as a model of openness and spirituality. After finishing at the local K-8 Catholic school, Brenda brought that openness to her education at the archdiocesan high school St. Pius X High in Chamblee, founded by the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 1958. While at St. Pius, she flourished excelling in all her courses. However, on a fateful day the school curriculum required her to attend a course on marriage and motherhood which was to be taught by a nun one of the school’s sisters (who was never married, nor had children). Once again that rebel fire sprung forth, and Brenda refused to attend the class. She was brought before the headmaster and asked why she didn’t want to attend the class. Her answer: The subject of marriage and raising children is very important. It should be taught by someone who has “real world” experience with the subject. After some reflection, the priest agreed. So, for the first time in school history, a “lay” teacher was brought in who was married and a mother. Brenda didn’t only push for school reforms, but also excelled in her academic studies. Beyond academics, she was also a prominent member of the school’s basketball team. She joined the senior squad in her sophomore year playing point guard. A position she held until graduation. With high school behind her and discovering an affinity for construction and architecture (a very male dominated field at this time 1973), Brenda decided to attend Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering Technology. As the only black woman at the college, she was one of only 3 young ladies in attendance. Being a very attractive woman, she had a lot of male attention. Uninterested in the advances, she quickly spread word of her aunt Patricia’s position on the Atlanta Police force, ending the pursuit. She swiftly became a “sister” who would help them with their understanding of “girl problems” and join in for the intense dorm room study sessions. Mutual support was a key part of the community. When Brenda damaged her father’s car, the guys in auto shop fixed it before the end of afternoon courses, and no one in her family suspected anything. During this time, her family also expanded, Christine and James had their third child. An unexpected blessing, Chris Kenner joined the bunch, with Brenda babysitting frequently in between her studies. Upon graduation with 2 years of college under her belt, Brenda wanted to do something no one in the immediate family had achieved, a 4-year college degree. Her parents were against it because they didn’t have the money. She got accepted to a couple of schools in Geargia, but the one that really caught her attention was the University of Washington in Seattle. Again, she was told “No” by her parents which, of course, had the opposite effect. So, with the help of some money from UW’s Black Student Coalition and money she had save from working at Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates a local construction engineering firm during her senior year in high school and two years at Southern Polytechnic, Brenda had enough money to make the jump. This would be a big change. Her first time on the West Coast of the United States. Her first time being truly away from home. The first time she actually got to eat freshly caught salmon. She’d only had salmon croquets - a Southern staple but made from canned salmon. Her dorm room was facing the magnificent Mount Ranier. Everything was a new experience, but the fire of a rebel didn’t leave her and so her work began. As an alumnus of Southern Polytechnic’s Black Student Coalition, Brenda joined the UW’s Black Student Coalition (of course) and was a driving force in greatly increasing the number of attending Black students, focusing on recruitment from Southern states. UW was giving away a lot of money to minority students and she was a great spokesman for the school. Because of her responsible nature, she was tapped to be a Residence Life Officer. The only Black Female RLO on campus at the time. Yep, she was a “Dorm Mom”. Her undergrad student charges loved her. She didn’t put up with foolishness but was very fair and accommodating when necessary. Brenda was even responsible for emergencies, like talking one of her students down from committing suicide during a Christmas holiday when she couldn’t return home. She was also recruited for UW’s Prisoner Education Program. Brenda was the only Black Female advisor for the program. Working at the McNeil Island Corrections Center, she won over inmates with her caring nature, honesty, and work ethic. She even got the group approved to attend a Louis Farrakhan speech during her tenure in the program. Brenda received many heartfelt “thank you”s when it was time for her to leave the program upon her graduation. The prisoners who were released went on to become medical assistants, technicians, mechanics. One student fulfilled a dream of working in a prosthetics laboratory which made Brenda very proud. With a Bachelor of Architecture and Environmental Design in hand, it was time to move back to Atlanta and begin a career. Brenda also brought back an additional person. She found love while in Seattle and married a, Iranian man, Reza, in the same field. So once again our heroine would be shocking her family. Because Brenda had previous experience in the construction and architecture fields (by doing summer apprenticeships for Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates) she was accepted in the Atlanta Carpenter’s Local Union 225 for training in commercial construction. The was in 1979. Women working in residential construction was rare. A woman working in commercial construction was even more rare and wasn’t popular among crews. Add to that being a minority, the idea was insane. But over the next four years Brenda proved her “metal” and became a “Journeyman”. The highest level for the trade group. Again, she was the first Black woman in the local to be awarded the designation and one of only a small handful in the country. Brenda never enjoyed the spotlight, she just wanted to be able to pursue her passion wherever it led. Yet again winning over her coworkers, she worked well with most of her male counterparts on various job sites. Brenda was known nationally throughout the Carpenter’s Local Unions and among companies, working to reduce harassment and supporting other female colleagues. As she grew older, Brenda became tired of working with the “boys” on site and opted for applying her architectural skills to project management and estimating, working for Center Brothers Inc. and Atkinson Brothers Plastering. She later began teaching blueprint reading at the Atlanta Local Carpenter Union’s apprenticeship program. Brenda also started volunteering with the Girls Scouts, teaming up with her old troop leader to mentor a whole new group of young black girls. Unfortunately, she was now divorced, and her father, who she had been taking care of, lost his battle with lung cancer in 1988. But another important chapter was soon to begin. Before she had left working construction sites, Brenda had reconnected with an old friend in her carpentry classes. She introduced her to a local Evangelical Christian group. She finally found a “church home”, and even later became a “home Bible fellowship” leader; helping others understand various biblical passages and how a very old “dusty” book could provide guidance in these modern times. It was during this time she asked to be “set up” on a blind date. She needed a date for the Center Brothers annual office Christmas party. A senior church leader with another member, Damon Young. She was 9 years his senior, but the two hit it off, and later married. It would be Damon’s first marriage, and of course Brenda’s second. Two years later their union would bring forth a very special addition, Laigha Denise Young. And so began an entirely new journey, motherhood. Motherhood was a huge adjustment for Brenda. Damon and Brenda decided she’d begin working part-time teaching at the apprenticeship program, with new grandma Christine helping with baby-sitting duties. She was the only female teacher in the program. Ever the consummate professional and dedicated analytical thinker, she never disappointed her employers. Brenda even saved the lives of two other colleagues while at work. During one of the courses that she was teaching for engineers at the CDC, she noticed one student in class was having a stroke. She was able to quickly call emergency services and bring medics to their location. She also assisted with the Carpenter Union’s training program for underserved youth at Techwood Homes. One student sliced his wrist while working on a window installation. Brenda immediately stopped the bleeding with her first aid training until the paramedics arrived. All the while still being a mom and breastfeeding her new charge. As Laigha grew, she began taking her to Union classes. Little Laigha was a welcomed addition to the all-male class, even helping some of the students learn how to read blueprints, being just 4 years old at the time. Despite her many responsibilities, Brenda would always find time to read to Laigha. The Heidi series, favorite biblical passages, The Girl of the Limberlost, The Tales of Uncle Remus, and many other popular children’s books. By the time Laigha reached kindergarten she was reading at a 3rd or 4th grade level. At this point, she threw herself into full-time mom mode. Brenda became the “class mom” for any class Laigha attended throughout her time at Russell Elementary. This included provided home baked goods cookies, breads (a school favorite, as word got out), pies, etc. She also put her teaching skills to work, tutoring kids in various subjects like reading, computer lessons, geography, and math. She even went on all the field trips. Laigha became quite popular with all the teachers and students at Russell because whatever class she was in Brenda was there to help make everyone’s day a little brighter. The family also embarked on another adventure during this time. They built their first home. Although Brenda was not familiar with residential construction, she was instrumental in finding and choosing the best professionals for the task. The couple even took a home building course at the SouthFace Institute in Atlanta, GA. There, Brenda and Damon learned all the different ways to maximize their home’s energy efficiency while maintaining its beauty and charm. During construction, Brenda continued to help review all of the subcontractor’s work on each phase of the building process. As difficult as it was to manage, her insights were instrumental in making their dream become a reality. Once the home was completed with everything moved in, Brenda’s love of gardening, shared and nurtured early by her father, rematerialized. The home had fig trees, a garden with blueberries and strawberries, along with a pomegranate tree. Neighbors, Laigha’s classmates and friends, and other family members enjoyed the bounty every season. A beautiful Japanese maple, gigantic ferns, a gingko tree that had legendary yellow leaves every fall, several oak trees, dozens of roses and lilies, beautifully smelling gardenias, and colorful peonies, and even two stone French water drain. For the kitchen, affectionately nicknamed “The Rolls-Royce Room”, great care was taken to make sure it was a place designed for a personal chef. The equipment was state of the art for its time (2002) including Thermador, Gaggenau, Bosch, and Sub-Zero. There were granite and stone counter tops, specialty designed cabinets with under-counter lighting and enough storage space for all her smaller kitchen appliances. It was her dream bespoke kitchen come to life. Now the magic of her culinary skills would truly take flight!! Over the years that followed, hundreds of people enjoyed Brenda’s culinary creations. There were graduation parties, holiday dinners with families, Bible fellowship meals, a cooking sleepover birthday party, and 4th of July parties. So many people just marveled and enjoyed the wonders that were made by such a humble woman. Of course, Laigha was her protégé and was there for every success and failure (still quite delicious to Damon’s palette). The two became an unrivaled source of culinary delight for so many people. Some of the recipes they shared were such a huge success with kin, that they ended up over-shadowing other generational family recipes. Somehow Brenda also found time to continue to be in the classroom. When Laigha reached the 5th grade, she was in a science class with Mr. Chris Laster. Mr. Laster would launch an after-school science program called, Space Team! One of the first of its kind in the country. A place where students would actually learn to simulate the processes of a shuttle launch. There was the shuttle crew, mission control, and “gremlins” - students assigned to managing technical backend production and causing various malfunctions that the flight crew and mission control had to fix (Laigha’s preferred position). Each of the students were given roles and lingo to memorize and actions to learn that referenced actual events that would take place during a shuttle mission. The multiple day simulation included a launch, an in-orbit science experiment, and a landing. A school trailer was turned into a mock space shuttle. Again, Brenda’s construction experience was helpful as the students were tasked with outfitting their shuttle with the necessary equipment to make it as functional as possible. Even after Laigha graduated from Russell, Chris invited her and Brenda back to help train a new cohort. The program would go on to receive local and national media attention being featured on Fox News Atlanta, Atlanta Constitution, Marietta Daily Journal. Of course, there’s a YouTube channel. Life is not all sunshine and rainbows and yes there were the storms. During a routine breast exam, a previous lump that was being monitored became cancerous. Family and friends pulled together in prayer. Brenda decided on a mastectomy and radiation. It was a difficult process, but with her usual rebel resolve and grit, she made it through and was cancer free for the remainder of her life. After her recovery, the bond between mother and daughter was even stronger. With few good options available for local education, Brenda and Damon decided to homeschool Laigha during her formative middle school years. With her experience teaching and spending so much time as a teacher’s aide over the years, Brenda could establish a well-planned curriculum. The first year went very well and Laigha was making great progress. Mother and daughter became an even greater team learning so many interesting things about the various sciences, math, history, etc. which they shared with Damon and friends. But life had even greater adventures in store. During the start of their 2nd school year, Brenda got a call from Chris Laster. He had also decided to homeschool his children because of the difficulties they were having adjusting to the local middle school. It seemed news had gotten out about Chris’s homeschooling plan, and other frustrated parents wanted to join his “school.” He needed help and called on Brenda. It would be a package deal of course. Laigha would get to attend Chris’s school free of charge and Brenda would work as a teacher’s aide. It worked out very well for everyone. And for the next 2 years, they traveled all over the South, exploring history, politics, and the natural sciences. By the time Laigha was ready to attend public high school, she was accepted into The Magnet Program at Wheeler High School. A “school within a school” setting the stage for her to continue accelerated learning. Brenda took a more hands-off approach for high school, but she always made time to drive Laigha to and from the Magnet program’s designated bus stop in town. Asking her about her day and sending her to the bus with fresh baked goods and lunches for her and her classmates, a much-loved treat for their 40-minute trip across the city. She helped with projects where she could, especially when Laigha took horticulture and floriculture classes. At other times, Brenda was busy taking care of the home, and running a small business she had started after she started helping a previous neighbor with her needs. The job led to her doing various home services and property management. As it came time for Laigha to graduate high school and start her college career, Brenda was ready for the challenge, too. They toured several schools and sorted through all the financial options. They decided on Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, 30 minutes outside of Charlotte. With an academic grant and scholarship Laigha was awarded, the tuition was lower than in-state options. Of course, Brenda was there to help Laigha every step of the way. Also, Zeta, Brenda’s sister lived in Davidson, which gave them time to connect. During her four-year college experience, mother and daughter always kept in contact. Brenda also made the 3+ hour drive to the school any time big transitions were afoot. She got to know a lot of Laigha’s close college friends, and a few would visit their home during the summer where they got to enjoy Brenda and Laigha’s exceptional cooking skills. There were also dorm moves from year to year. Brenda was there for each one. During Laigha’s senior year, there was a special impromptu move out of a rental home back to the dorms. Some unwanted bat neighbors had taken up residence in the attic to the surprise of everyone, including the landlords, their very large colony would take significant effort to relocate. Brenda also was a big help to Laigha with her senior thesis, editing pages and pages of academic prose. The thesis coupled with her excellent grades, helped Laigha to graduate with honors. After graduation, Laigha got a job at Piedmont. Brenda was her personal chauffeur which gave them even more time to bond. When Laigha finally had enough money to buy a car with the money from her job. Brenda did try to teach her how to drive a stick, but this time her brother Chris had to help, since Damon wasn’t very good at working a manual transmission, either. Later, Laigha developed a life-threatening health condition. Mother and daughter began working to find a solution. After doing research, they figured out that the necessary procedures would be too expensive in the States. This would lead them to take a trans-Atlantic trip to London where Laigha would undergo surgery to correct the situation. Brenda was there for her daughter making sure everything went well. They would be in Londdn for a total of about 4 months and Laigha had a very successful operation and recovery with them praying every step of the way. During the last few years of her life, Brenda had suffered a severe brain bleed. She was in the hospital for over a month. Because of Covid-19, the family wouldn’t be able to visit, but maintained contact over the phone and FaceTime. Now Laigha took on the role of caregiver when Brenda returned home. Her health did improve, even as she struggled to regain her cognitive abilities. Working through months of recovery, all of her physical and operational therapists were shocked and impressed with her tenacity and improvements. After all of that hard work, she did get a much-needed break with a girl’s trip to Savannah. Renee, an old family friend, Brenda, and Laigha had a great time discovering the charm of that old city. Again, Brenda, the constant fixer and caregiver, worked to help Renee’s brother with changing his diet to help with his diabetes, working on recipe ideas and meal plans. After another significant brain bleed, Brenda Joyce Young, would pass on Mother’s Day, May 13, 2023. She was surrounded by family and friends. Her attending physician remarked that he hoped to have that many people around him when it was his time to leave this life. Being the extremely private woman that she was, she requested that there be no funeral. She was cremated and her ashes were left with her greatest love, her daughter Laigha.