ATLANTA — Acclaimed director Tyler Perry is expressing his condolences after Atlanta-based gospel legend Lashun Pace passed away.
Pace died Monday of organ failure, according to the family. She was 60 years old.
The singer and songwriter was described as the trailblazer of the gospel group the Anointed Pace Sisters and also had a successful solo career. She had been on dialysis for five years waiting for a kidney, her sister Lydia Pace told 11Alive's Shiba Russell.
The filmmaker and playwright turned to social media to give a glimpse of his relationship with Pace and her family.
"Listen, I am not the kind of person that likes to make public the things I have done to help others. I think if you’re going to help someone then let that be between them, you, and God," he wrote. "But they themselves shared it and today 11Alive reposted this story as both of these incredible God Loving, God Fearing, at-all-times-praying women have passed on."
Perry shared an 11Alive report of when he granted Pace's mother her dying wish, gifting her a home and the opportunity to be a homeowner.
"As I think about the heartbreak of knowing that so many people are in need and the state of the world today, I’m just glad to know that they were able to spend their last days in a home that they owned, surrounded by love," he said.
Pace became friends with Perry early in his career. The playwright at the time was working on a new production when Pace came on board. The two remained friends ever since, with Perry touring a play sharing a name to one of Pace's works "I Know I've Been Changed."
Perry visited Pace's mother as her health declined. The matriarch of the Pace family, Bettie Ann Pace, died at 82 in 2020. Pace and her mother were close.
After hearing of LaShun's passing, Perry said he felt her loss deeply, adding that she and her mother are a testament to how character and kindness can leave a lasting impact.
"Listen to me. You may not be able to buy a house for someone, but we all can do something, even if it’s just showing someone kindness. That’s the spirit of these women! They gave all they had for others. May they both rest with the angels, as they will truly be missed," he wrote.
Pace's death is the third loss for the Atlanta family within two years. The oldest of the sisters, Duranice Pace, passed away last year. LaShun is survived by seven of the nine Pace sisters and an adult daughter.