Blenda Carlene (Redd) Minor, affectionately known as “Pony” was born on April 10, 1949, in Fieldale, VA to Elder Russell and Christine Hairston Redd. She excelled in the Henry County Public School System where she graduated from George Washington Carver High School in 1967. She matriculated to Howard University in Washington, D.C. there, she studied pharmacology with the hopes of helping her mother overcome hypertension. While at Howard Univ. she met, fell in love, and shortly thereafter married Charles C. Minor, Jr. to this union, four children were born.

Blenda dedicated over twenty years of service in the pharmacy field at both People’s Drug Store in Silver Spring, MD and Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. However, after the launch of IBM’s personal computer in the early 1980’s, she developed a love for computer science and business. With this newly found passion, she enrolled and graduated Summa Cum Laude with dual Bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Business Management from Strayer University in 1992. Blenda utilized her Computer Science degree to help spearhead the use of the electronic dispensing medication program (Pyxis) and helped upgrade the data entry software for the Washington Hospital Center pharmacy department. When her husband became ill, she retired from the Washington Hospital Center to become his caregiver and together amid his declining health they co-founded ‘Minor Graphics, LLC’.

In 2011 Blenda was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease and had to begin dialysis treatments. Compelled to shed light on this debilitating disease she devoted herself to educating renal disease patients and their loved ones about the many effects dialysis patients are faced with daily. She created her own blog site called, The Dialysis Times where she wrote articles and posted quite often to various Facebook groups in support of dialysis patients and their famlies.

Blenda was a loving and devoted mother, daughter, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother. She appreciated the simple things in life, never missing the opportunity to laugh, joke, and find joy in even the toughest of times. She enjoyed great food and had a passion for sports, which was reflected throughout her life. It was very common to call or pop in and catch her yelling passionately at the television as she cheered on Venus & Serena Williams, Tiger Woods and her beloved Washington (Redskins) Commanders. She also found it a treat to cheer on her grandkids in their various sporting activities until her health limited her ability to climb the hills at the sporting fields. She loved and cared for others not because she had to, but simply because it was the desire of her heart.

Blenda was an intelligent and quick-witted lady that enjoyed sparing with words on things that mattered to her the most. You could often find her giving her children, grandchildren and anyone else that would listen, history lessons regarding her family’s rich heritage in Martinsville, VA.

On Thursday, November 17, 2022, at the age of 73, Blenda gained her wings and entered eternal rest after an eleven-year heroic effort battling end stage renal disease. She was preceded in death by her husband Charles Clifton Minor Jr., her parents Elder Russell and Christine Redd, and brother-in-law Aaron Minor.

She leaves to cherish her memory: Stepmother, Arleen F. Redd of Martinsville, VA; four children: Sean T. Minor (Nicole) of Snellville, GA; Julius S. Minor of McDonough, GA; Blendetria M. Wiley (Sean) and Letique C. Minor of Woodbridge, VA; thirteen grandchildren: De’Shawn Minor, Raushan Minor, Kaleem Minor, I’Endai Minor, Imani Minor, Kyrin Pruitt, Yvonne Wiley, Bryan Wiley, Aujahne Alexander, Antonio Minor, Perry Minor, Larry Minor and Jashawn Edwards; one great-grandchild: Neon Minor; two sisters: Martha E. Redd of Martinsville, VA, and Karen R. Turner of Bassett, VA; one brother: Wayne R. Redd of Martinsville, VA; one brother-in-law: Melvin Jennifer (Anita) of Suitland, MD; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Blenda was one of God’s precious gifts who will be dearly missed and deeply remembered.