Jennifer “Jenna” Blalock Brown, 34, of Charlotte, passed away peacefully Thursday, March 1, 2012, at Carolinas Medical Center, in Charlotte.
A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at Sharon Presbyterian Church, 5201 Sharon Road, Charlotte. A visitation with the family followed in the church fellowship hall. A private burial ceremony will be held at a later date in Pinehurst.
Jennifer Brown was born Feb. 23, 1978, to Al and Joan Blalock, of Greensboro. She was a graduate of Lucy Ragsdale High School in Greensboro and East Carolina University, where she attained a degree in computer information systems. After graduating in 2000, she joined the IT staff of Duke Energy in Charlotte, where she worked as a senior analyst until becoming ill.
Jennifer was very involved with her church family as a child, when she formed her like-long relationship with God. She was active in her youth group at church and was greatly involved with Young Life as a teenager.
After losing her grandfather Ellis Fields to cancer in 1999, Jen became involved with Team In Training, which raises funds for cancer research. During 2004 she ran in three marathons, raising more than $50,000 toward this effort through individual donations.
Surviving are her husband, David H Brown III, and daughter, Mary Ellis Brown, of the home; her parents, Al and Joan Blalock of Greensboro; paternal grandfather, Benton H. Blalock, of Norwood; father- and mother-in-law, David H Brown Jr. and Susan H. Brown, of Cazenovia, N.Y.; and sisters-in-law, Julia Brown and Heather Brown, also of Cazenovia.
She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, J. Ellis and Mary C. Fields, of Pinehurst; and her paternal grandmother, Margie S. Blalock. of Norwood.
In lieu of flowers, Jennifer requested that donations be made to Merrill Lynch, FBO Mary Ellis Brown, 529 College Savings Plan. Mailing address: Merrill Lynch, Attn: Burke/Hunt Group, 150 S. Stratford Rd., Suite 150, Winston-Salem, NC 27104. Online condolences may be made at www.gaskinservices.com.
The Brown family is in the care of Gaskin Services, Matthews.