Remembering Chad

Welcome! Please meet our beloved son, Chad, and learn how his life impacted so many other lives.

From Chad's Obituary, June 10, 1986:

Chad Phillip Pendergrass, 13, an eighth grade student at Henderson Junior High and a resident of the Cokesbury community, died this morning at Duke Medical Center. He was born in Vance County on September 21, 1972, and was the son of Phillip and Carole Powell Pendergrass. The funeral will be at 2 P.M. Thursday at Gillburg United Methodist Church by the Rev. Wade Crabtree and the Rev. Frank Sossamon. Burial will be in Sunset Gardens. Surviving, in addition to his parents, is one sister, Audrey Pendergrass, of the home; his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Lee Allen Pendergrass of Norlina; and his maternal grandfather, Paul Powell, of Lock Haven, PA. The family will receive friends at Flowers Funeral Home from 7:30 to 9:00 P.M. Wednesday. The body will be taken to the church one hour before the funeral service. Pallbearers will be Kevin Pruitt, Glenn Strum, Steve Fisher, Tom Peoples, Chuck Pendergrass, Johnny Patterson, Jimmy Allgood, and Tuan Tran. Honorary pallbearers will be Chad's eighth-grade classmates at Henderson Junior High School.

Never Ready to Say Goodbye

We're never ready to say goodbye
To someone we hold dear.
If it were up to us, sweet Chad,
We'd always keep you here.
But God has reasons of His own
And plans we do not know,
And these are always for our good,
Though it may seem not so.
Our arms are empty, and our hearts
Are filled with tears and grief,
For we who loved each day with you,
Now find those days too brief.
Yet if only we could heaven see,
We'd know you're happy there,
And we would never call you back
When such great joy you share.
And so we'll trust you to God's great care
And know some day, once more,
We'll hold you to our hearts again
When we reach heaven's shore.

© Saralyn McAfee Smith

Please visit Saralyn's poetry page by clicking
on her name above.
Thank you Saralyn for allowing us to use your poem.

In Memory of
Chad Phillip Pendergrass
Sept. 21, 1972 - June 10, 1986

With tears streaming down my face and my heart breaking, I kissed my son on the cheek and whispered,"I Love You." I looked toward heaven and prayed, "Oh God have mercy." Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

I knew deep down inside that Jesus was about to complete the place that he went to prepare for my son. Jesus was getting ready to send the Death Angel to come and take my son home to be with him for eternity.

At 3:05 a.m on June 10, 1986, our son went home to live with Jesus, the Man who lived and died for us. He went to a place called Heaven where there is everlasting peace and joy. I was sad because I wanted to see my son grow up, graduate, go on to college, get married and have a family.

My heart was breaking, knowing how much he wanted to live and how hard he fought to live, never giving up, fighting every day with such fierce determination, never complaining and always reassuring us he was going to be all right.

Now God, I want to thank you for our son, Chad, and for the blessing of the time that he had on earth, the love that we shared, the good accomplished, Chad's faith and the faith of others that have gone on before. For faith that can pass through floods and fire without any damage, for the home eternal, which has been prepared for those who love God and who trust Him. For the hope which reigns in my heart and which knows no defeat and for Chad's salvation and for mine.

Chad loved life and everyone was so special to him. I know he wants all his friends to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

We love and miss you son. Our love will always remain the same. We are looking forward to being together again.

Love Daddy, Mama & Audrey

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