The Life of Mrs. BRENDA ESPRIELLA
Brenda Espriella,(Brenda Mae Nichols) of Roanoke, formerly of Rocky Mount, VA died on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Brenda was born to the deceased Silas J and Ruth Dalton Nichols on November 26, 1954. (whom she loved profoundly but caused much grief in their lives).
She leaves behind her wonderful, loving daughter, Heidi Renata Nichols, with whom she had her ups and downs while all the time sharing a love that no one could ever come between.
She also leaves behind her beautiful husband, Jesus (Jesse) Espriella, who has taken care of her every want or need for the last 34 years. She knew her daddy handpicked the best angel in Heaven and sent him down to guard her once he was gone!
Last but certainly not least, she leaves behind her baby sister, Lisa Agee(Greg), formerly Lisa Dawn Nichols, whom she wished for many years but wanted to send back after her 9th birthday.
She also leaves behind many many friends who are too numerous to mention that she counted on for one thing or another, even if just to chat about a certain subject.
She did want to mention a fantastic friend, Michael Jackson, and her amazing lifelong friend, Tommy Lee Meeks, whom she has asked to officiate her service.
Brenda will be laid to rest at Mountain View Cemetery in the Comfort Rest section at 10 AM on Thursday, April 4, 2024.
If you come to her burial and would like to bring flowers, only loose live-cut flowers tied with cotton string or ribbon are allowed due to the natural Burial Brenda has chosen and planned for years. No seating will be available, so feel free to bring your own folding chair. Come as you are, dress for the weather, wear your work clothes, and wear whatever she is used to seeing you in.
NOTE from BRENDA:
My beautiful daughter will probably not be at my burial. Heidi Nichols is NOT to be forced to, admonished, or even told that she should attend. She and I have discussed this in great detail for years, and we share our love for one another and our close bond. She and I are both good with her decision to do what feels best for her, as she was close by my side when it truly counted, ALWAYS!
Anyone attending my service is welcome to say anything they have on their mind, whether good, bad, or ugly!
Please do not send flowers or food. If you choose to make a memorial gift in my honor, please make a monetary donation of love to Jesse. (You all know how I love to spend money!)
I will be buried in a beautiful pink sundress I made for myself. Then, I will be wrapped in a beautiful pink quilt that I made with my own hands, which consists of 220 four-layer squares. I want to leave this world just as I entered it and live my life to the fullest.
My service will be closed, and everyone will be led in JUST AS I AM, as that is how I have always lived my life!
I would like to leave you all with a copy of JUST AS I AM, as that is the way I will go, the same way I lived.
DO NOT MOURN FOR ME. I HAVE HAD A GOOD AND BLESSED LIFE! MUCH more than I ever deserved!
MAY GOD DRY YOUR TEARS TODAY!
The obituary was written by Brenda herself on October 28, 2018.
(My family and friends would agree that I should be honored with I DID IT MY WAY!, as if you ever knew me, you knew that I DID IT MY WAY!)
NOTES FROM FAMILY:
Brenda was so loved and so spoiled from day one. She was the apple of her daddy’s eye, while Lisa belonged to her mama!!
She always figured out a way to get what she wanted. She was always willing to work hard or pout if she had to!
Most of you reading this will have a BRENDA-MADE treasure tucked somewhere in your home. She learned to crochet on her own in her teens. She went on to make thousands of crocheted items for family and friends. She never tired of gifting one of her treasures, especially for a new baby!
In later years, her wrists were worn out from decades of crocheting, so she took up sewing. She was always working on some unique treasure. When her thumb wore out, and she had to give up sewing, her hands had to stay busy.
She started putting together custom puzzles, which she loved to give away. If you ever visit Dr. Konstance or Will Pauley, NP, or Brandon Automotive, you will find her puzzles proudly displayed on their walls as a token of her admiration for their caring services! If you had a problem, she could always figure out a way or point you in the right direction. She knew how to make that phone work for her! Brenda had wanted everyone to know that food had always been a very important part of her life. She had wanted to have a catered dinner in the mausoleum following her celebration of life. However, her good friends were able to talk her out of that one, convincing her that no one would enjoy a meal in a mausoleum just after giving her back to the Earth. She asked instead that every time you dip into a pot of pinto beans, bite into a crunchy piece of cornbread, or delve into a tasty dessert, you think of her and how much she would love to join you. She had been admonishing Lisa for over four decades, saying she had better never let anyone hold what she wanted to eat. She thought everyone deserved a Coke and a good piece of chocolate daily.
Instead, Lisa has spent the last several months begging her to eat. Just know that she is healed now, in Heaven, with the family that she loved dearly, running on legs that would no longer hold her up here and enjoying all the chocolate her heart desires without having to worry about Insulin! Her vision is clear, and there are no more magnifying glasses. Her only regret is that she left her three behind: Heidi, whom she wanted so badly and loved so fiercely; Jesse, who was gifted to her from above; and Lisa, whom she prayed for but only wanted to keep for those first nine years! There is nothing like family. Hug yours tight today, live just as you are, and do it YOUR way! Until we meet again, we will make you proud and remember everything you taught us!