Category: 2000s

Matthew James Hurley was born on March 7, 1979, and passed away on January 2, 2021, and is under the care of National Cremation Service – Portland.

Lee Ann Petty, 41, passed away Wednesday, December 30, after a long battle with gastric cancer.

Lee Ann was born in Birmingham on February 14, 1979, to W. David Petty and Carol Kiser Petty. She graduated from Mountain Brook High School in 1997 and Davidson College in 2001.

She returned to Birmingham to work for AmSouth Bank as a paralegal in the legal department. She became the Senior Litigation Paralegal, a position she continued to hold after the merger with Regions.

She later transitioned to the Community Affairs team as Regions’ Volunteer Service Coordinator. Lee Ann loved the community of Birmingham and loved serving others. She lived both of these out through being actively involved in numerous non-profits and service organizations.

She worked with, or served on the boards of, many non-profits around Alabama, including the United Way, Junior Achievement, the Junior League, the Firehouse Shelter, the Cahaba Foundation, the Alabama Governor’s School and others. She was also an active member at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday School.

You can read more about her rich career of service here. Lee Ann was well-loved by many people throughout the community.

When she wasn’t working for the benefit of others, she loved spending time with her friends enjoying Birmingham’s restaurants and cultural venues, such as the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, or the state’s many sports teams.

Her greatest delight was to spend time with her family. She loved being at the beach with them, especially with Jack and Luke, her nephews. Lee Ann passed away at home with her family by her side.

She trusted her Savior throughout her battle with cancer, knowing that, whatever may come, His promises to her were secure. She now gets to enjoy relationship with Him unhindered.

She is survived by her father, William David Petty, her mother, Carol Kiser Petty of Mountain Brook, and her sister, Susan Petty Needler(Kent) of St. Louis, Missouri. Due to the pandemic, a memorial for Lee Ann will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Firehouse Shelter, United Way, Junior Achievement, Junior League, or the Cahaba Foundation.

Copyright, 2021, Birmingham News. All Rights Reserved.

We celebrate the life of Patrick Clark Braxton-Andrew (PBA, Pato, Pibba), a life that ended far too soon on October 28, 2018. Yet in those 34 years, Patrick experienced more than many would ever dream.

He lived his passions: teaching his students to love the Spanish language and Latin culture and food as he did ; setting up his own tutoring business to promote not only academic excellence, but also to instill the desire for lifetime learning and curiosity; traveling to far off places (Central and South America, SE Asia), interacting with locals wherever he ventured, and finding kindness and generosity throughout.

As Patrick wrote in the intro to one of his photo albums “I’ve stood breathless… with loved ones at the feet of world-class wonders and made lifelong friends, oh so many unforgettable friends, and eaten oddities and delicacies, often in the same bite. I’ve contracted exotic illnesses and learned a language and forgotten to call or email and survived the recklessness that perhaps inherently afflicts anyone who’s willing to pack a backpack full of belongings and, simply, leave. Along the way, while learning to shed belongings and preconceptions, I’ve accumulated more stories than I can ever (or, in certain cases, should ever!) tell.”

No matter how far he ventured, he always returned to the Davidson community where he grew up, graduating from Davidson College in 2006.

Many here will miss seeing him on his daily runs along the roads near town; others will recall the meals shared, his voracious appetite, and especially his love for dessert.

We will all continue to be inspired by the commitment he had to his students, the joy he found in his travels, the friendships he cherished worldwide, and his love of life.

Patrick is survived by his mother, Jean Braxton and father, Gary Andrew, his brother, Kerry Braxton-Andrew and sister-in-law, Kathleen Braxton-Andrew, and countless extended family and friends who will carry on his memory.

Patrick’s family wishes to thank the Davidson community for their outpouring of love and support and the yellow ribbons of hope.

We want to thank the friends of Patrick who worked tirelessly to effect the search efforts in Mexico. And we wish to acknowledge the courageous leadership of the Governor and the Attorney General of Chihuahua in finding Patrick’s body and returning him home.

Gifts in Patrick’s memory may be made to one of the following: (1) via check to the Patrick Braxton-Andrew Memorial Fund, Davidson College, Box 7170, Davidson, NC 28035 or using the following link: www.givecampus.com (search for Patrick). This fund will provide grants to Davidson students to study or travel abroad. (2) via check, payable to E2D (www.e-2-d.org), a non-profit organization where Patrick volunteered his time-dedicated to helping people in his community learn technology skills. Mail to E2D, Inc., PO Box 1299, Davidson, NC 28036, writing PBA (or Patrick) in the memo line or donate online at www.e-2-d.org/donate(under “special instructions”, note PBA or Patrick).

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, December 15 at 3:00 pm at Davidson College Presbyterian Church, 100 N Main St, Davidson, North Carolina, 28036. There will be a reception following the service at the college’s Lilly Family Gallery in Chambers Building on campus. Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home is serving the family.

Published in Charlotte Observer on Dec. 2, 2018.