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Submitted: 3/5/24 • Approved: 3/7/24 • Last Updated: 3/10/24 • R1522686-G1522685-S3
January 5, 1954 - October 25, 2020
A child of God, with her number one goal in life to go to heaven and be with God. She achieved that goal when He called her name on October 25, 2020.
Brenda loved God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and life in general. Family was very important to her, but if you came over to her house twice, you are family. Her love for Jesus was evident in the way she loved others.
Mom would have you know, “God is good all the time and life is worth living even in the worst moments!!!”
Brenda was married to Gayland Timothy Avance for 46 years. She is survived by three sons and their families: Brandon Avance, his wife Kaitlin, and daughters: Payton Grayce(8), Savannah Ryan(6), Whitley Jane(4). Tim Avance, his wife Stephanie, and children: Elleanor Marie(8), Emily Kate(6), Grayson Lee(4), Elizabeth Anne(2).
Alexandre Avance, his wife Lauren, and daughters: Elise Renée(4), Clara Rachel(2), Virginia Morgan(6mo).
A life-long learner, she worked at Garland ISD for 20+ years. Her time was spent at the GISD Transition learning center serving students with special needs to help them to transition to adult life and to find paid and volunteer jobs in the community. She completed her Masters in Education Administration in 2009 and Superintendent certification in 2012.
Brenda coached basketball, volleyball, tennis, and cheerleading in the years the boys were at Dallas Christian School. Amongst many other entrepreneurial efforts, she ran the Dallas Christian cafeteria for a season. In her free time, she attended every game her sons played, chewing sunflower seeds and yelling “hit somebody” at kickoffs.
She was blessed in the summers to work with children and adults teaching water safety and swimming techniques for 30+ years, missing only 2005, due to personal issues. The amount of love she poured into those swim lessons, the lives she enriched, and the joy she shared was impactful to all who saw her teach. Cousin swim camp was one of her favorite weeks of the year.
Brenda is survived by her mother, Virginia Harris; and the families of sister Debra Culpepper and husband Duncan, brother Ralph Harris Jr. and wife Claudette, brother Ron Harris and wife Gayle; and many cousins,
aunts, uncles, extended family and a list of friends that would have to be included as family.
A Celebration of Brenda's life will be at 2:00pm, Thursday, October 29, 2020 at Saturn Road Church of Christ.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Christian Works for Children, www.christian-works.org ,
5440 Harvest Hill Rd, Suite 140, Dallas Texas 75230.
Contributed on 3/5/24 by debbraszymanski
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Record #: 1522686