Shirley Jenelle Black

Duncan, SC – Shirley Jenelle Black passed away peacefully at her home on February 23, 2026. She was the daughter of the late Romy and Eula Whittaker Reeves and the loving wife of Richard E. Black. Born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised in the Pea Ridge community, she was one of nine children and carried with her throughout life the strength, resilience, and deep sense of family that came from growing up in a large household. In 1981, she graduated from Rhema Bible College in Oklahoma. During her time there, she worked at a local hospital by day and attended school at night to become a pharmacy technician, an early example of her unwavering dedication and discipline. She dedicated most of her professional life to the medical field, faithfully serving in many areas of hospital care. She was also ordained as a minister and maintained a wonderful, steadfast relationship with the Lord throughout her life. Her greatest accomplishment and proudest blessing were her five children, whom she loved deeply and spoke of often. Motherhood was the joy of her life, and she poured her heart into raising, guiding, and praying for each of them. Her love story with her husband was one for the ages. She loved him wholeheartedly and he was her world. In their early years, they spent countless nights dancing together and building a lifetime of cherished memories. She was a devoted wife in every sense of the word, standing faithfully beside him in ministry and in life. Together, they co-hosted a television program, The Spirit of Life Broadcast, and shared the Gospel through Christian radio ministry. Side by side, they ministered to many, touching lives through their faith and testimony. They also shared a spirit of adventure, and she rode on the back of her husband’s motorcycle across America embracing the open road. She will be remembered as a woman of deep faith, fierce love, joyful devotion, and unwavering commitment, to her Lord, her husband, her children, and her calling. Her legacy lives on in the lives she nurtured, the souls she encouraged, and the family she treasured above all else. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, Sheryl Lantzy (Scott), Dena Brandner, Regina Draper (Dennis), and Richard Black (Heather); her grandchildren, Var Holtzhauser, Matthew Powell, William Powell, Eric Black, Emily Brandner, and Jessie Brandner; great grandchild, Lillian Powell; siblings, Odell Carver (Gerald); and many other loved family and friends. She is preceded in death by her one son, Richard Keenan Black; 6 brothers and 1 sister. The family will receive friends on Friday, February 27, 2026, from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM at Living Waters Funeral Home & Crematory; A Celebration of Life will begin at 3:00 PM. Pastor Ricci Allen Sr. will officiate.

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Shirley Jenelle Black

September 5, 1940 - February 23, 2026