Penelope “Penny” Baccus Withrow, daughter of the late Norman and Cleo Eaves was born on February 19, 1950, in Boiling Springs, NC and she was the third of six children. She was called home to be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on May 25, 2021. During her final days she was surrounded by her daughter Brandy and her family as well as her niece Sunshine, who moved in to care for her during the last few months of her life. She was also visited by the many family and friends whose lives she had touched throughout her life.
Penny grew up in Springfield, MA but moved back to North Carolina as an adult, attending Gardner Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC. She graduated with her degree in Criminal Justice and shortly after college, Penny realized that her true life’s calling was to help others. That realization was truly reflective by her caring and generous spirit in the work that she did throughout her life.
When she was married, she and her then husband, Allen, packed up their belongings and drove across the country to California while she was pregnant with their daughter Brandy. She loved the area so much that she spent over a decade in the San Francisco Bay region of California, which was by far her favorite place and the place she called “home”. Afterwards she relocated back to her first home of North Carolina.
Penny worked for many years as a Case Manager and then as an Instructor with a local community college, but her true passion was assisting those most in need. She spent over 25 years of her life as a Therapeutic Foster Care Provider, servicing children with extreme special needs. During that time, she impacted the lives of countless children, many of whom had come to think of her as their second mom.
Penny was extremely close to her daughter, siblings, and her extended family. She became the matriarch of the family, the one that everyone looked up to and respected. Holidays, birthdays and summer vacations were always reasons for the family to get together and celebrate, there was always so much love.
An avid lover of music, reading and especially art. She loved sharing art with others and would often put you on to the best book, or song - which if she loved, she would always put on repeat! Her artistic talents and vast knowledge eventually lead her to create her own business, “Black Eyed Perspectives” with the goal of sharing her art and the wisdom of African Proverbs to the masses through her unique t-shirts, calendars, totes, and other creations.
She loved to travel and when her daughter Brandy married Joel in Negril, Jamaica, she fell in love with the island and could often be heard commenting, “if you ever get to Jamaica, you have to go to Negril; you’ll love it!” She also had an opportunity to go back to her beloved Bay area with her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren touring San Francisco, and eating clam chowder from a sour dough bread bowl. To say she thoroughly enjoyed herself would be an understatement!
She is survived by her daughter Brandy and Son-in-Law Joel Paige, of Charlotte, NC, three grandchildren, Jacob, Caleb, and Gabriel; her brother of High Point, NC, Sherwood Baccus; her special son, Damion (Little Man) Gatewood of Charlotte, NC, and a host of nieces, nephews, and relatives who were very near and dear to her heart. Penny was preceded in death by her parents, Norman and Cleo Eaves; her son, Allen Raper,Jr.; her sisters, Ida Baker, Barbara Eaves, and Pamela Eaves and her brother, Jessie Eaves.
They just don’t make them like Penny anymore! She was an exceptional daughter, sister, aunt, and friend who absolutely adored her daughter, son in law and three grandsons! She cared for her special son for most of his life and thought of him as her own child. She was fiercely protective of her family and did her best to ensure that everyone was taken care of. She did this not out of obligation, but because of who she was.
The memorial service for Ms. Withrow will be private. The service will be livestreamed starting at 2:45 PM on Thursday, June 3, 2021 at S.T. Enloe Memorial Chapel, Shelby, NC.
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