Shanaya Marvelle Brown, affectionately known by her peers as Shay, was born on August 10, 1982 in New York City, NY to Sharon Brown.  At an early age, Shanaya relocated to Moncks Corner, SC, with her mother and younger siblings. She was educated at Berkeley High School where she was a member of the marching band and a member of the Air Force JROTC. As a young girl, Shanaya developed a lasting interest in fashion; particularly, she enjoyed shopping for shoes and purses.

After receiving her high school diploma, Shanaya attended Trident Technical College in pursuit of furthering her education. Soon after, she was blessed with her first child, Onyaa' Destinee Brown and later her son, Elijah Christopher Major-Brown. Shanaya's commitment to her children was evident as she was a hard worker. She was employed by Presbyterian Communities of SC for 13 years working as a Medical Technician onsite at The Village in Summerville.

On Saturday, June 30, 2018, Shanaya departed this life at Trident Medical Center, North Charleston, SC.

Her loving memory will be cherished by: her children, Onyaa' and Elijah; her mother, Sharon "Sabina" Brown; her father, Marvin McMillan; her sister, Shaquana Brown (Benterence); her brothers, Shamarr Brown and Shayquan Brown; her grandmother, Mary Brown; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and her pets, Nya and Coco who all held a special place in her heart.

Shanaya was preceded in death by her grandfather, Joe Brown.