Brenda Sue McElroy Cantwell, 57, of Paducah, KY, died on Tuesday, October 24th, 2017. at Baptist Health - Paducah, Paducah, KY.
Brenda was born on May 3, 1960, in Olathe, KS. She was the middle child of Wayne Ross McElroy and Suzanne Elizabeth Richards McElroy.
She is survived by her husband of 33+ years, Tom and their three children; Hunter, his wife Emily and their children, Charlotte and Gabriel, of La Grange, KY; Meri Brooke Cantwell Colburn, her husband Jordan, and son, Grant, who will be born in December, of Louisville, KY, and Megan, of Louisville, KY.
Surviving are her parents Wayne and Sue McElroy, Paducah, KY, brothers Brad McElroy and his wife, Brenda McElroy, of Paducah, KY, and Brian McElroy and his wife Carmen, of Lee's Summit, MO. She is also survived by nephews and nieces: Beth Hill and husband, Matt, three children, daughters Caroline, Georgia and son Henry, of Tulsa, OK. Scott McElroy and his wife Emily, of Knoxville, TN. Kristen Ojard and husband Connor, and daughters Anna James and Emerson, of New Orleans, LA. Alli McElroy of Birmingham, AL. Sara McElroy of Oklahoma City, OK, Davis McElroy of Lee's Summit, MO, and Dan McElroy of Fulton, MO.
Brenda loved and followed Jesus to the best of her understanding. A crucial part for her understanding of loving Jesus and serving others was being involved in a local church. She was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, Paducah, KY, where she was in the Girlfriends' Class. Brenda was a lifelong Baptist where she served in many capacities: deacon, women's ministry coordinator, member of a pastor search committee, teacher, choir member, middle school coordinator and too many other committees to mention. Brenda always felt at home in her churches and her church life was always a high priority. When she was in Houston receiving treatment at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, her passion for the local church was exhibited by her not missing a Sunday worshiping at her adopted Houston, TX, church, South Main Baptist Church.
Brenda was a long time educator and most recently was a first grade teacher at Clark Elementary, Paducah, KY where she had taught for 16 years. Additionally, she taught in Independence, MO, Chattanooga, TN, Canton, GA, and Johns Creek, GA. Brenda saw teaching as her calling and the classroom as her mission field and her heartbeat was for all of "her" Clark children. She loved her fellow teachers and administrators and thrived in the entire culture of elementary education.
She was a graduate of Fort Scott High School, Fort Scott, KS, and also attended Cape Central High School, Cape Girardeau, MO, she earned her Bachelor of Science at Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, and she earned her Master's degree at Murray State University, Murray, KY.
Visitation will be held at Immanuel Baptist Church beginning at 4pm on Saturday, November 4th.
Funeral services will be held at Immanuel Baptist Church at 2pm on Sunday, November 5th with the Rev. Jamie Broome officiating. Burial will follow at Brooks Memorial Garden.
In lieu of flowers, Brenda's dream was to form a foundation to help the children-in-need at Clark Elementary, Paducah, KY. The "Brenda Cantwell Memorial Foundation for Clark Elementary Students is now a reality and your tax deductible gifts can be given in two ways:
1. Going to the Brenda Cantwell Memorial Foundation website and give via credit card:
https://brendacantwellfoundation.givingfuel.com/give
2. By mailing a check to “Brenda Cantwell Memorial Foundation for Clark Elementary Students”, c/o Paducah Public Schools Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 2550, Paducah, KY 42002.
You may leave a message of sympathy or light a memorial candle at www.milnerandorr.com.
