Brian Jernigan

Brian Stacy Jernigan, 55, went home to be with the Lord on November 30, 2024. Brian was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Doris Brownridge and James Gibson. He went to Ridgemoor Park Elementary where he met his lifelong best friend and brother, Fred Cox. He graduated from Creston High School in 1988. Then he went on to go to trade school for IT. In 2016, he went back to school at Strayer University and got his Bachelor of Science in Information Systems. He continued on to have a long career in IT as an IT Project Manager for Walmart in Arkansas until he transferred to Charlotte, North Carolina where he found his forever home.

Brian was one of a kind; the backbone of our family. His absence is something that will always be felt. He broke the mold for what it meant to be hard working and strong. The love he had for his family was admirable; there was nothing he wouldn’t do for them. He loved his mother unconditionally.  During the week before her visit for Thanksgiving he would tell anybody who would listen about his plans to keep her in Charlotte once he got her down there. He would do anything to make sure she was safe and taken care of. He also took his role of being a big brother seriously; Lachelle will tell anyone who listens how much she loved him and appreciated how he was always there for her whenever she needed him. Even while he was going through his own personal battles, he never stopped protecting and supporting her.

He was always someone you could count on to show up for you. Brian always talked about being better for his children; if there was something they needed and he had the means to make it happen—consider it done. He was an amazing man, a God fearing man, and he showed them what it meant to be a provider. 

A person can’t talk about Brian and not mention his love for sports. From football to basketball to golf and the University of Michigan to the Indianapolis Colts his passion for sports was always apparent. Whether he was playing basketball outside with his kids, coaching a team, or just on the sidelines yelling—he always stayed active and engaged.

He is preceded in death by his father James and sister Deirdra. He is survived by five children: Alayna, Stacy, Jonathan, Christopher, and Carter; his mother Doris; his sisters: Lachelle, Brittany, and Tracey; his brothers: Anthony, Kenneth, and Portiforo; and, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and his partner Melanie Taylor.