Nesta Louise Gerberding

Nesta died on February 4, 2022 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  She was just short of 40 years old.  A force of nature, a princess, a roller derby queen, a law student, a mother, a wife, a woman, a spirit, my muse, my powerful, beautiful daughter is gone from this earth. She lives on in the hearts of those she touched, those she brought life to, those she loved.  She rests in our hearts with her father, the other green-eyed Gerberding.

Nesta was born July 31, 1982, in George Washington Hospital in Washington, D.C.  We moved to Charlestown, WV, in 1987. Nesta went on to graduate from the University of Texas-Austin where she majored in Government and World History.  She completed her first year of law school and began her second year at St. Mary’s School of Law.  Prior to being a full-time mom with twins, she had a successful career as a bi-lingual paralegal for 6 years at the firm Rivas Goldstein LLC.  In between, Nesta was a member of the TXRD Roller Derby team.

Perhaps her most loved schooling was as a member of the Hope Renovations program where she trained as a building contractor. At the time of her death, she was enrolled in community college to become a certified electrician.  She was preparing to open one of the first woman-owned electrical service companies in North Carolina.

Nesta leaves in her wake her three children – Ian and Phillip, the twins that start high school next fall, and Jacob, a recent graduate of the Goddard Preschool in Chapel Hill. She also leaves behind her husband, Felipe Barrientes, father of the twins, and her second love, Frank Paul, Jacob’s father.

In addition to her children and their fathers, Nesta is survived by her mother, Victoria Gerberding Albright; step-father, Arthur Brown Bradsher; brother, Kevin Christopher Gerberding; and nephew, Gregory David Gerberding.  Nesta’s father, David Leon Gerberding, passed on Father’s Day, 2010.

Other relatives that loved her dearly include uncle, Christopher Albright; aunt, Constance Sprong; cousins, Jason Sprong, Suzannah Sprong Cahillane, Erin Sprong Murrell, Mark Albright, and Craig Albright.  On her father’s side are her many wonderful aunts and cousins in the Mavraedis family in California.

Nesta is also survived by many friends and co-workers. This includes her colleagues at Hope Renovations; her addiction treatment family at Horizons (University of North Carolina); her motorcycle family – the Nation’s Capital Norton Owners; and many dear friends in North Carolina, Austin, Texas, San Francisco, California, and Charlestown, West Virginia.

Memorial celebrations will be held:

 Sunday, May 29, 10am, at family home, 3118 Appling Way, Durham, NC, 27703. For details, call me at 919-599-9771 or write valbright2@yahoo.com

 Sunday, June 19, 2pm, at Charles Town Presbyterian Church, 220 E Washington St, Charles Town, WV 25414

San Francisco – July 31
San Francisco National Cemetery
In this celebration, her ashes will be joined with those of her father, and Jacob’s namesake, David Leon Gerberding, and her grandparents, Henry and Freida Gerberding, at San Francisco National Cemetery.

A trust has been established for her 3-year-old son. Contributions can be made to the:  JACOB LEON PAUL SUPPORT TRUST and mailed:

c/o Christopher C. Wilms, Attorney at Law
Hopler, Wilms & Hanna
2314 South Miami Blvd, Suite 151
Durham, NC 27703

Missing you Always

You never said “I’m leaving”.

You never said “Goodbye”.

You were gone before we knew it, and only God knows why.

In life, I loved you dearly.

In death, I love you still.

In my heart, there is a place that only you can fill.

It broke my heart to lose you.

But you didn’t go alone.

A part of me went with you the day God took you home.

Godspeed, Nesta.

Please go to Shutterfly – Photo Book for a fuller description of Nesta’s life with pictures of Nesta, her family, relatives, and friends.

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