Courtney Fernandez

Sanford, NC:  Ms. Courtney O'Neill  Fernandez, age 22, of 582 Pine Valley Lane, formerly of Virginia, departed this life on March 12, 2016.  A  Memorial Service will be held Saturday, March 19, 2016, 1:00PM at First English Lutheran Church, 1603 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA.  Reception following the service. Directions will be provided at the funeral.   Courtney was born September 28, 1993 in Virginia to Brian Fernandez and Kim Kelly DeGaetani.  She is now in heaven with her grandparents, Forrest (Leon) and Anita (Nickie) Kelly of Richmond.  Courtney was a 2015 graduate of Radford University where she earned degrees in Health and Human Performance (B.S.) and Spanish (B.A.)  She also completed a semester at Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso, Chile in December 2015 and planned to attend graduate school for physical therapy.  Courtney was fiercely loyal, devoted to family and friends, had an extraordinary sense of humor, compassion for all, generosity, and exuberance for life that is irreplaceable and will be deeply missed.   She is survived by mother and step-father, Kimberly and John DeGaetani of Lancaster; father, Brian Fernandez of Newport News; loving big brother, Sgt. Bryce Fernandez and wife, Annamarie of Fayetteville, NC; dearest step-sister and step-brother, Kylie and J. T. DeGaetani of Lancaster; grandmother, Kathleen Fernandez of Fairhope, AL; great auntie, Carol Sloope of Chesterfield; beloved aunt Garnett Blackwell and husband, Matthew of Chesterfield; loving cousins, Chelsea, Amber and Zoe Blackwell, Kendall, Michael, (Jessica), Kalia and Daman Sloope, and A. J. Grant all of Chesterfield; devoted Godparents, Steven and Marie Avon of Sanford, NC; the loves of her life Sylvia Blackwell and Thomas Avon; honorary grandparents, Lynn and Doyle Joiner and Anne (Grammy) and Buddy Blackwell; and closest friends, Lauren Jones, Allen Smith, Scott Harris, Jeran Nickels and David Hamerman.   Flowers may be delivered to the church on Friday, March 18, 2016; however, memorials may be directed to Carolina Donor Services at www.carolinadonorservices.org.   Announcements by Rose & Graham Funeral Home in Benson.