Brent Astaire Herndon, husband to Dr. Gloria Bozeman Herndon and first cousin to Dr. Maya Angelou, died Saturday morning, April 2, 2016, at Howard University Hospital home attended by his immediate family. He died from complications related to his long battle with heart disease, diabetes and most recently renal failure.

Brent was born in Broken Bow, Oklahoma on December 4, 1942 to the late Sidney Lanier Herndon and Essie Lee Herndon. He was the second of eleven children, eight brothers and three sisters, Sidney Frederick Herndon [Hazel], Freddie Lee Herndon[deceased], Myles Edward Herndon, William Cullen Herndon[deceased], Ruben Coleman Herndon[deceased], Byron Duryea Herndon [Regina], Jerry Lynn Herndon, Beverly Ann Martin, Evelyn Margie Tahiru and Ida Ruth Martin [George].

Brent grew up in San Bernardino, California attended San Bernardino High School and later Los Angeles Community College. He acquired several accreditations and certificates as he progressed through his career. A successful businessman, Herndon’s achievements during his lifetime were responsible for paving new opportunities for blacks in the United States. As the first black manager for Sears in Los Angeles, Vice-president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and owner of SSM International, an art brokerage firm. Like most achievers, his vision extended beyond the borders of California and the United States.

At a time when most thought of Africa as a dark continent, Brent ventured into Africa and began a successful timber business in Ghana in the 1960s and later traveled to Nigeria where he established the largest borehole drilling company in the 1970’s. His partners included such prominent companies as Johnson Screen, Ingersoll Rand, Jacuzzi Pumps and Motorola.Outside of the bore hole business he also was an active contributor to the Festac-77 celebrations in Nigeria. Upon their return to the United States in the mid-1980’s, After settling in the Washington, DC in 1980s, he became involved in real estate development and brokerage initiatives. Later in his career, in the 1987, he collaborated with his wife Gloria in establishing GB Herndon & Associates, a successful multi-line international insurance firm.

Brent and Gloria enjoyed life through their extensive travels leaving no continent untouched, numerous celebrations with family and friends and giving back to the underserved even at his weakness moments. In dedication to this renaissance man and his contribution to the community he served and celebration of his life, in lieu, of flowers we ask that contributions be made to Healthcare For All, a 501c3 organization, which will help offset dialysis cost to those that are underserved.

Brent is survived by his wife, of more than 40 years,
Dr. Gloria Bozeman Herndon, his aunt Lois Givings,

his children
Brent Astaire Herndon Jr. [Debra]
Coleen Herndon
Estelle-Marie Heussen [René]

grandchildren
Brent Astaire Herndon III
Jamal QA Herndon
Cheri Herndon
Taylor Milan Herndon
Kennedi AN Herndon
Krysta Abdullah [Ameer]
Zahra Nenna Heussen
Maya Uzoma Heussen

great-grandchildren
Lama’Jine Herndon
Triniti Herndon
Amari Abdullah
Kaden Abdullah
and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and Godchildren.