We are here today to celebrate the life of Sheltonya Tameka Alvarez-Boyd.  Tonya was born on March 4, 1974 in Albemarle, NC to Shelton Gould and Henrietta Gould, both from North Carolina.

The Lord saw fit to call Tonya home on Thursday, April 8, 2021 in Columbia, SC where she resided.

For such a small person, Tonya had the biggest and the brightest heart any human can possibly have.  Tonya was loved and is missed by many.  She had a smile brighter than the sun.  It was so contagious.  She was a very loving and caring person, who would do anything for anybody, whether she knew you or not.

She loved fishing!  She talked about it all the time.  It was a peaceful and relaxing pastime for her.  She loved music and she loved to laugh.  She was a joy and a pleasure to be around.  But above all, Tonya loved her family, especially her grandchildren.

Tonya spent most of her life working in hospitality.  She enjoyed interacting with people and she loved her job.  She worked her way to the top by becoming General Manager of Candlewood Suites, located in Columbia.  She was so happy there and she went above and beyond to accomplish what needed to be done to make her hotel a successful one.

She leaves behind to cherish her memory:  her wife, Tonya Patricia Boyd, originally from Charleston, SC but now resides in Columbia, SC; her aunt/mother figure and uncle, Rhonda Bonner and Edward Bonner of Fayetteville, NC; her two daughters, Precious Amber Brooke Cuthrell and Alexus Gabrielle Jones, both of Asheboro, NC; one son/son-in-law, Kendrick O’Brian Cuthrell, also of Asheboro, NC; three grandchildren, Zoey Gould, Asiah Cuthrell and Kendrick O’Brian Cuthrell, Jr., aka “Junie Bug”; one sister, Tiffany Gould of NY; one brother, Sean Lewis; one uncle, Leroy Cagle of NC and a host of relative and friends.