Brenda Cashion Wellmon

She was born in Greenville, SC on August 8, 1941, to Pansy Fortner Black Cashion and Hazel William Cashion. The Cashion family moved to Charlotte when Brenda was a young child and returned to Greenville just prior to Brenda’s junior year of high school. She graduated from Palmetto High School as salutatorian and graduated from King’s Business College in Charlotte.

Brenda met Curtis Wellmon on a blind date set up by mutual friends in 1964. They were soon engaged, and beautiful Brenda was featured as the Charlotte Observer’s 1965 “June Bride.” They were married that year, moved to Asheville, and soon had two children, Michelle and Scott. Brenda and Curtis formed a true partnership and were devoted to each other until Curtis’s death in 2004.

After graduating, Brenda worked as a receptionist, bookkeeper, and executive secretary at Champion Paper. In 1971, she and Curtis were presented with an opportunity to move back to Charlotte and to start a new career together at General Bonded Warehouses, Inc., which they later purchased. Brenda served as vice president, and in 1980, when Curtis was recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome and surgery to remove a brain tumor, she stepped in to run the business on her own. Her dedication to hard work and customer service never lessened despite her increased responsibilities and the new challenges she faced. She led the company with a commitment to supporting and sustaining her family and continued in this role after Curtis’s death, leaving a business legacy for her children that continues today. Brenda was a leader, a motivator, and a doer.

Although Brenda was a successful businesswoman, she also enjoyed a rich life away from the office. She and Curtis owned a condo at Cherry Grove Beach and loved spending time there with Michelle and Scott and the many friends and family they invited to join them. She loved being with her family, including her five siblings to whom she remained close all her life, her nieces and nephews, and many lifelong friends. She enjoyed travel and all kinds of music from bluegrass to opera to classical to beach. She was a self-taught pianist who played by ear. And as she neared the end of her life and her physical activities became limited, music was always a constant and something she enjoyed no matter what. Perhaps her greatest hobby though was people. She never met a stranger and was genuinely interested in others and their stories. She helped people when they needed help, and we will probably never know the full extent of her generosity. She was a true and loyal friend and made it a point to stay in touch with people she cared about.

Brenda was a lifelong Presbyterian and was devout in her faith. She was also a strong proponent of education and valued it highly. She served on the Foundation Board of Western Carolina University, which was Curtis’s alma mater, continuing his Board service after his death. Over the years, she also served on the Parents’ Councils of The Asheville School and Furman University.

Brenda is survived by her daughter Michelle and son Scott, both of Charlotte. She is also survived by her sisters, Marsha Buff, Betty Brown-Sides, and Penny Berry-Campbell, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her brothers, P.L. Black and Gilbert Cashion. The family is grateful for her caregivers, Tori, Nancy, and Sowley, and especially for Cristina Burnette and Grace Genetiano, who are also close family friends and who cared for Brenda’s mother, for Curtis, and for Brenda with great love over the years.

Funeral service will be held at 11:30 AM, Saturday, July 9, 2022, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 101 Colville Road, Charlotte, NC 28207, with a reception to follow in the fellowship hall. The service will also be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/Nco3WAFdnVA.

If you would like to honor Brenda, contributions to Western Carolina University Foundation Fund for the Curtis and Brenda Wellmon Scholarship, 408 H.F.R. Administration Building, Cullowhee, NC 28723 or to the music ministry at Westminster Presbyterian Church by mail or online at https://westminstercharlotte.org/giving are welcome.