Lanita Bartley
Heavy on my heart! With my deepest condolences to her beautiful family!
I want to personally thank the family for allowing Mrs. Pat to be apart of my life. I met her in 2008 my first year of college. We never lost contact. She spoke so highly of her family. I even remember some of the family supporting me at my basketball games at UF.
She had a beautiful soul. Her authenticity, incredible nature, compassion, humility, and uniqueness made her an extraordinary individual. She displayed love without any ounce of judgment, bringing us closer together despite our differences. She loved me unconditionally, disregarding the color of our skin or where I came from. She would tell everyone that we were great friends and how much she cared for me. She always sought to understand both the positive and negative aspects of my life, yet remained uplifting. Every time I saw her or talked to her, I could express how much she meant to me because she was so pure. Earlier this year, I tattooed her name and a cancer ribbon on myself as a testament to the depth of my love for her. She actually told me not to do it, but I explained why I wanted to, and she just laughed. She truly believed in me and was one of my biggest fans in basketball and life itself.
I said all that to say she was the person who impacted my life and helped me become a better version of myself. She was my inspiration to life and being a great person like her. I take pride in that. I'm going to miss her, but there will be no more pain.
Love LB
