Saundra Brown Asante

Saundra was born on December 25, 1947, in Washington, DC to parents Isaac Brown and Ruby Hawkins. As a child she was very outgoing and inquisitive and took a liking to dance and theatre, which she would continue to love throughout her adult life. She graduated from Fairmont Heights High and later obtained a professional nursing degree from the University of District of Columbia. In her early 20s, she became a professional dancer, traveling all over the world and sharing her talents at a wide range of venues, including military bases. She married her husband, Charles Asante, in 1980 and they welcomed their child, Ruby, in 1986. Thereafter, she embarked on her professional nursing career as a registered nurse for which she was very proud and practiced until her retirement in 2020. She also taught herself about real estate, investments, and business practices and went on to start her own private nursing business and purchase several real estate properties in her lifetime.

Saundra loved travel, dance, movies, plays, and cats. She was a proud multi-generation Washingtonian as she loved to call herself having been born and raised in DC. She was a loving mother, proud grandmother, protective sister, and supportive friend. She truly lived life to the fullest and found pleasure in her global travels, spending time with her children and grandchildren, celebrating her favorite holidays, and visiting with her friends. She was a compassionate kind soul who was dedicated to making the world around her better, one example of this was her longtime role as a foster mother in DC. She fostered countless children in need of homes and maintained lifelong relationships with many of them. She also volunteered her time for causes like Breast Cancer Awareness as a breast cancer survivor herself. In her later years she joined a dance troop and a sorority and loved to perform and participate in her sisterhood events.

She is survived by her daughters, Ruby, Sherrie, and Darchelle; a brother, Andre; a niece, April; grandchildren Riya, Ramia, Brandi, Domonique, Jasmine, Devon, Brittany, and Darryl; great grandchildren Cherish, Drew, Christian, Jessica, and Italy; and great niece and nephews Sierra, Vincent, and Kenneth.

She will be greatly missed by her family and friends and always remembered for her special spirit.

A funeral service for Saundra will be held Friday, January 12, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Fort Lincoln Funeral Home, 3401 Bladensburg Rd, Brentwood, Maryland 20722.