Friday, August 20, 2010

A Life Well Lived

Brandon David Pentz, of Riverside, CA went to be with the Lord Friday, August 20, 2010 in Escondido, CA as a result of an accidental fall.

Born in Fontana, August 8, 1982, to Oran and Laura Pentz, Brandon was a beloved son and brother as well as a loyal friend. Brandon attended Riverside Christian Day School, Woodcrest Christian School, and Riverside Poly High School before earning his BA in Business Administration from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA. Brandon went on to work as a Project Manager for Pan Pacific Plumbing in Irvine and most recently as a Production Team Leader at Goodrich in Riverside. Brandon was a determined hard-worker who gave everything in all he did.

From an early age it was apparent that Brandon was a people person. He had a multitude of great friends and was always the life of the party. He loved sports, and excelled in soccer and football which he would go on to play at APU. Brandon also loved cars, new and old. In high school he and his father restored a red 1966 Chevy Chevelle Malibu together. That car was always one of his most favorite things. More than anything including cars and sports, Brandon loved and cared for every member of his family. He could often be found working with his dad in the yard, or cooking in the kitchen with his mom. When it came to moving furniture, painting houses, washing cars and even changing tires he was always there to serve. Brandon was a man who cared for others above himself, and had a way of making everyone he was around feel special and important. He was an authentic person--what you saw was what you got. He always had a smile on his face.
 Brandon did everything 110%, and could often be heard saying “Go big, or go home!” He never did anything half way, including his faith. Brandon passionately pursued being a man of God. His life can be best summed up by 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” Brandon never stopped running.

Brandon will open his eyes, and see the glory of heaven. His grandparents are waiting for him, filled with joy in anticipation of seeing him again. They can't wait to hold him, and love on him. They can't wait to walk with him through the gates of heaven into an indescribable eternity. And Brandon's loving, faithful Savior has prepared an awesome welcome home party with glorious music, light, heavenly joy...and maybe a couple of venti iced green teas, no water.

Brandon's final journey has been one of heart-wrenching tragedy, and yet throughout it all, God's fingerprints have been everywhere.

So today is not about the suffering of Brandon's heartbroken family and devastated friends. It's about Brandon's lifelong faith that because he loved and served Christ, he would one day step from this life into heaven.

Brandon is survived by his parents, Oran and Laura Pentz, his sister Natalie, her husband Bryan Davis and their daughter London; Grandparents: Jack and Betty Lewis and JL Patten; Uncles and Aunts: Vic and Becky Pentz, Dave and Myrle Pentz, Darell and Verna Freeman, Larry and Sherry Clark, Charlie and Cindy Catren, Kenny Lewis, Donald and Laurie Lewis, Lynette and Jerry De Los Reyes, Steve and Carol Lewis; cousins: Melody, Audrey, Mellissa, Rachel, Sarah, Jonathan, Jessica, Amy, Heidi, Gabe, Jenna, Rodney, Carrrie, Tara, Brianna, Ashley, and Kaylyn, as well as countless friends.


The celebration service will be held at 4:00pm Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at the Grove Community Church at 19900 Grove Community Drive, Riverside, CA 92508. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sports Ministry of the Grove Community Church.

37 comments:

  1. Dear entire Pentz family -

    We are so very sorry and our hearts are aching deeply for all of you. What an incredibly honorable life he lived. You are all very loved and we are praying you through this unbearable and unimaginable pain.

    Love,
    Cas and Gina Webster

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  2. I am so very sorry for your loss, I had the pleasure of having Brandon as my boss here at Goodrich.. He was making a change,for the better. HE WILL FOREVER BE REMEMBERED.

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  3. We're very sorry for your loss.
    Marty & Jeri Read

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  4. Oran, Laura, Natalie and family,

    Our hearts are broken for you and we will be lifting you all up in prayer during this incredibly difficult time.

    Jeff and Sherry Joyner

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  5. Brandon was such a wonderful and genuine person. He touched so many lives in nothing but positive ways. I was one of many who were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with him during his entire career at Pan-Pacific Plumbing. He brought such an energy and work ethic into the office with him everyday. Brandon was one of those rare people that never said no. He treated every task or request with the same level of urgency and attention to detail. I will always treasure the phone calls, emails and text messages that we shared after he moved on to his new position at Goodrich. I feel honored to have known him for these past few years. He will truly be missed.

    Erik & Julie Roth

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  6. Dear Ones,

    With great anticipation we will all look forward to the day when it's our turn to go to our forever home. No more tears, no more sorrow, no more pain. Only praise and worship for our precious Lord Jesus Christ. And who will be right there to usher us in? We have no doubt that it will be your handsome and loving Brandon.
    With his outstretched hand to greet us with a handshake or arms to wrap around us to give a loving hug, that will be your Brandon. To God be the glory for allowing us a forever home to share with our loved ones forevermore.

    We love you all, The Richard Hawkins' Family

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  7. The Michelsen Family is saddened to hear of the loss of your son. May the peace of the Lord your family loves so much be with you all. His love and strength has always been a visible part of your family's life. Brandon certainly has some loving arms waiting for him by his grandmother. She loved so many children including ours.

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  8. Oran, Laura, and Natalie,

    Our hearts are heavy for all you have been enduring the past few days and for your pain right now. Thankfully you all have such strong faith in God and know that Brandon is with his grandparents. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all of you. The Mata family

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  9. Although I only knew Brandon for a short time, I was blessed to have him in my life. He showed me everyday what it meant to believe in making the impossible possible. This world lost an amzing man today but the Lord gained an Angel. And I will forever have a place in my heart for his spirit and that spirit will remain a part of me forever.

    Jason Adams

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  10. To the entire Pentz family,

    I had the privilege of working with Brandon at Pan Pacific for quite some time. I always looked forward to coming into the office in the very early morning and Brandon was always there with a smile on his face and he made the day much better. I will also never forget going to the desert with many of the people from Pan Pacific to shoot guns and hanging out with Brandon and wondering when will he ever run out of ammo, he just kept shooting and shooting. He was one of the greatest kids I have gotten to know and will never forget him and his great attitude.

    Henry Hillebrecht

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  11. During this time of excruciating grief, know that we will be praying for all of you.

    Mark and Cid LeDuc

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  12. To Oran, Laura, Natalie, and family. We are so very sorry for your loss. Brandon was a wonderful example of a man and he was greatly loved. Matt and Brandon grew up together, played soccer together and played football together. But more than that, they grew up in the Lord together at VCC. We are all better people for knowing Brandon. He will always remain in our hearts. The Brown family is holdling you up in prayer. We love you.

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  13. Pat and Alyssa StacyAugust 20, 2010 at 11:40 PM

    To Oren, Laura, Natalie, and family, there aren't words to describe the sorrow we feel about your loss. Brandon was a typical Pentz with his perpetual smile and relentless positivity. And that is exactly how we will always remember him. The Stacy family loves you guys.

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  14. Cheif Pentz and family,
    I am so sorry to here about your loss, Hunter and I will continue to pray that God be at yor side and guide you though this tragic time. I don't know the loss of a son or brother but I know that after losing Eric, it is my faith that helps me get though each day. May your faith give you the strentgh to travel this journey and hold you up when you need it most.

    Love and God Bless,
    The Botkin Family

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  15. I didn't know Brandon, but it seems I went to high school with him according to his age. My condolences go out to the Pentz family. God had a purpose for his life here on Earth and took him when he needed him back.

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  16. I had the privilege of coaching Brandon at APU and was a better person for having had him in my life. He was a special young man who I admired for his attitude, work ethic, and love of life. I can't recall a time when Brandon did not make me smile; I will always remember and be thankful for the blessing he was to our team. I honestly don't have the words to express how I feel....I love you Brandon and may the light you shined while here endure in the lives of those you touched. Coach Rochelle

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  17. Oran and family,
    I am so sorry for your loss and wish to send you my support through this difficult time.

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  18. Words are not enough. Brandon will be greatly missed... Our hearts and Prayers are with the Pentz Family

    The Petersen Family

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  19. Pentz family,
    We are so very sorry for you terrible loss. I worked with Brandon in the CAD room at Pan Pacific Plumbing and from the first day we met, I knew that he was a special young man. He had an amazing attitude and a willingness to learn. It is so sad someone so young must leave us. We pray the Bible hope will help you through this difficult time, and we pray for God's Kingdom to end all these problems, with a time when death will be No more. (Revelation 21:3,4)

    Dan and Cynthia Lehmann

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  20. I am still in shock. Even though I hadn't talked to Brandon much the past 2 years, it is still unimaginable to think about. My mind has been flooded with memories of him the past couple days, from playing football at APU, to river trips with "six pentz", to working at Arrowwoods. So many different things. One thing I specifically remember is we had worked at full day and we got a call from the office around 2 saying we needed to make a emergency delivery up to a job site in San Jose. We hopped in my truck and started driving. The deal was that Brandon would drive up and I would drive back. We got up there around 11, made our delivery and headed back. We were both hungry and decided to stop at Denny's for some food. I am not a coffee drinker at all, but I knew that I would need to be awake to make the drive home, so I decided to drink some. I had about 4 glasses along with my meal and we headed on our way. About 30 minutes into our drive I started yawning and knew I wouldn't be able to make the drive. Brandon offered to take over, even though we had close to 4+ hours left. We pulled over on the freeway and switched. Not long after that I was completely passed out. The only thing I remember after falling asleep was about every 45 minutes or so, Brandon would roll down all the windows, turn up the music as loud as he could and start singing. I was so tired that I just turned over and ignored it. Just goes to show what kind of guy he was. And even though we lost touch, I will always consider him a brother. I could probably write a hundred other stories and I might later on, but I am still trying to deal with this all. I moved to Texas in February to start a new career and I hope to make it for the funeral on Wednesday, but if I can't I will be home for the Holidays and I will certainly stop by the Pentz home and give everyone a big hug and share stories.

    David Wilford

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  21. This mother's heart aches for your loss. May His peace that passeth all understanding be so evident with you and His loving arms encircle your and carry you through this heartwrenching time.Know you are in my prayers.
    Lisa Bishop

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  22. My heart goes out to the Pentz family in their loss... I went through this almost exact same thing recently... (I had an ALMOST just as tragic car wreck about 2.5 years ago, when I was in the military, stationed in Turkey I ended up suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury (T.B.I.) AND THE Air Force didn't think I would make it back to the states... So they got my parents a couple passports and on a plane so they could go meet me in Germany. Although I was unfinished with my life, in God’s eyes, he for SOME REASON decided to keep me around... So I try to “SOMEWHAT” ease the pain of people going through this same sort of thing that way the loved ones of the family can MAYBE sleep a little better at night! I feel like this may have been the reason God kept me around, because He knew that I have a way with my words that may end up making things people are going through just a little more tolerable... So I just wanted to share with you guys a verse that I just found right before I read about Brandon: Psalm 17... "We must not conclude that we have somehow missed God's protection if we experience troubles. God's protection has far greater purposes than helping us avoid pain. It is to make us better servants for Him. He helps us by guiding us through painful circumstances, not only by helping us escape them." So I hope that this verse provides some sort of comfort to you in your loss... (Actually, you know what? I know that there is NO WAY IN THE WORLD that you guys could feel any kind of comfort in a time like this...!!! So I KNOW that it's not... but in the future, I hope that this kind of helps you guys... Just knowing that a man that doesn’t even know you guys can relate to/ understands the pain you guys are going through. So I left my blogspot address for you guys to look at LATER! (Not now... I don’t think that anyone would be able to tolerate reading about someone that actually made it through the same thing that happened to their son!) So when you feel that the time would be right, go and check out davidhuddleston.blogspot.com

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  23. Oh my, my heart is breaking for your loss. May God hold you thru this very difficult time. Much love and prayers the Kelwyn Wild Family

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  24. Thank you so much for all the posts and comments about Brandon, they truly do help. Verna Pentz Freeman

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  25. Our hearts and prayers are with you in this tragic loss. - Dave Doerksen and family.

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  26. Mr. and Mrs. Pentz,
    My deepest condolences for your loss.
    your son was an incredible person. I as well as many others will be better people for have known Brandon Pentz. That says volumes for how much he was loved and his impact on this world.
    you will see your little boy again.
    God must have needed another angel by his side.
    and your son with a heart of gold must have fit the bill.
    as a father I cant even fathom the pain that you must be feeling in your hearts today. no parent should have to bury a child.
    God Bless you, your family and Brandon's Soul
    jeff d

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  27. Dear Oran, Laura, Natalie and Family,

    Our thoughts and prayers are with you. May the Lord's loving arms be your strenght and guide as you journey through your loss of your dear Brandon. We love you!

    Kendall, Gina, Elyse and Joel

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  28. Dear Oran & Laura,
    Thank you so much for allowing my Brandon and a group of friends to share with you in your experience. As painful as it is, I know it meant the world to them. They needed to be there for their friend and you so graciously included them. That is just the kind of amazing people you are.I am sure Brandon knew they were there. If you ever need a Brandon fix (strong willed, stubborn, and thinks he is invincible, I will loan you my Brandon). Love you, Jodi

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  29. Oran, Laura and Natalie; We are so sorry for your loss. We can tell from all the posts that Brandon was truly loved and was a wonderful person that left his mark on many people. A true Pentz.
    Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

    Bill and Jennifer De La Hoya

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  30. Way to let the whole of Riverside know about Jesus in Brandon's life. Saw this in the paper and knew that even in this - Jesus is being glorified. Dan and I and many in our church have been and still are praying for you. Love you friends -

    Chris Bishop

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  31. I will never forget Brandon's laugh and smile. Both were infectious. You knew when Brandon was around. One of my favorite memories was winter camp when my dad took some of the boys to 7/11. Brandon got 2 red bulls and couldn't sit still during worship. Afterwards, he told my dad he was never allowed to have red bull at home. Probably for good reason. He had enough energy and life to run two bodies already. haha. Also, no one could ever forget that blonde head of hair zooming down the field any given Saturday during a soccer game. Brandon was an extraordinary individual. We will meet again.
    -Curtis Warren

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  32. Dear Oran and Laura,
    I was reminded this morning that Pastor Greg Laurie suffered the loss of his son 2 years ago. And Jon Corson, Pastor of Applegate Church in Oregon also lost a son in recent years.

    Perhaps they may have some Godly advice for you and your family. I am sure that your Pastor or Chaplain Ballinger can connect you to one of them.


    God's comfort and love are unending.
    Chris and Cindy Jensen

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  33. Dear Pentz Family,
    Sorry to hear of your son's Brandon's passing. My sincere condolences to all of you.
    I have enjoyed reading special Brandon stories and how many lives he touched.

    Brandon is still continuing to touch lives.
    May God keep you close to him always.

    Love.
    Lupe Olivas

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  34. My heart is broken for your family. I remember him as a boy when Natalie was on the cross country team and we use to bring our team over after a Saturday run for breakfast.

    My prayers for your family will continue.

    Coach Billy York
    Woodcrest Christian School

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  35. I was in complete shock when I found out what had happened - as was everyone else who had the opportunity to know Brandon. He and I went to High School together, and although he and I were not friends I still knew who he was. He was someone everyone knew.

    I am really happy He donated His organs! I am a donor, and I try to get others to donate too, but some people do not want to part with organs they are not going to need or ever use again.

    He has been in my thoughts this past week. In time things will get easier - each day turns into a week then a month and then before you know it a year and so on... I hope he is enjoying his family up in the sky.

    Best Wishes to the Pentz Family!

    - Brandie -

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  36. On April 20, 2008 I started a new job with Pan Pacific Plumbing. I was employed to be a General Foreman for a new Disney Hotel project. Shortly after my arrival to the office, I was informed my Project Manager would be an inexperienced 25 year old Kid. Oh Great I thought! I start a difficult project and they stick me with some kid!Within a few hours I was introduced to Brandon Pentz. I think it took me less than an hour to realize what a special kid this was and never referred to him as a kid again. Brandon and I made a commitment to each other from that day, that we were going to give 110% to this project and as he put it Hit a Home Run. Brandon and I would work on Saturday's at my home, I can't tell all how much fun we had working together, and we both felt we did hit that " Home Run " at the conclusion of the project. Brandon and I became much more than co-workers we became very close friends. Brandon was just 1- month older than my middle daughter, but I never considered him like one of my kid's, I considered him my friend or as I used to tell him, my little buddy.In August of 2009 Brandon invited me to the Pentz home for his 27TH Birthday. After spending nearly a year and a half talking to Brandon about his family I felt like I knew them. I truly feel the most important thing to Brandon was his family. My wife and I arrived at the Pentz home to be greeted by Brandon with that big old smile. Immediatly upon entering the Pentz home, my wife and I felt the Love, Comfort, and Peace associated with Brandon's home. We had such a great time meeting Brandon's family and friends.In 2010 Brandon was forced to leave Pan Pacific Plumbing, I know he didn't want to leave, but finances dictated his decision. Pan Pacific lost their " Greatest Cheerleader " Brandon left to pursue a great opportunity and future with the Goodrich Corporation. I know he never wanted to leave, but felt he had no other options. About 2- weeks before his accident, Brandon called me, we spent nearly 3- hours talking on the phone. The main topic of our conversation, was Pan Paific had made him an offer to return to the company, and he wanted my opinion. I knew how much Brandon loved the company and I didn't want to influence his decision in any way, but just be supportive with any decision he made.I am so grateful during this conversation, being we were both no longer employee's of Pan Pacific I told Brandon the greatest experience I had with Pan Pacific was meeting him and he becoming his friend. I told him I loved him like my son. I told him he would be a success at anything he pursued in life. I know Brandon and I would alway's maintain our friendship, but I'm so glad I told him how I felt about him. It's such a personal blessing. Brandon is gone and I understand that. I guess I feel selfish with my pain at his passing I can't wait, for all of us when we can reflect back on Brandon with a smile or a chuckle with our memories of him! Heaven has just become a better place with his arrival, and our earth has become a lesser place with his departure. Oran, Laura, Natalle my families thoughts and prayers will continue with you. Thank You for son and brother.

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