SALISBURY — Travis Fennell, a founder of Food Truck Tuesdays at the Rowan County Fairgrounds died earlier this month. He was 38.

Fennell and his wife, Tranise Brown, were not born in Rowan County and while their lives had taken them to various stops around the United States, Salisbury became their home in 2021.

The couple actually met in Salisbury at Brown’s uncle’s wedding, so the space always bore special meaning to them.

Most people in Rowan County might not know them by name but have likely heard of their gift to the community — Food Truck Tuesdays. Initially, the event was held in Spencer, but as of 2023, it was taking place at the Rowan County Fairgrounds and, in even a relatively short period of time, had taken off.

“At first, we only started out with 8 to 10 trucks,” Brown said.

They pulled local food truck vendors from the area and gave them a space to set up. Brown described it as an outdoor food court. Let’s just say word got out.

“We went from 8 trucks to almost 80 trucks,” Brown said.

While the idea to host several food trucks in one place came to Brown in the middle of the night, she said that Fennell was immediately on board.

“I ran it by him, and he said, ‘Let’s do it,'” Brown said.

According to Brown, that is the kind of husband that Fennell was: supportive and always in her corner.

Neither of them came from a food and beverage background, but they started reaching out to certain food trucks.

“When we ran the idea by them, they did not believe in the vision,” Brown said. “It was hard to get food trucks to come around.”

After a few events, the idea began to gain traction, and what started happening stood out to Brown.

“I saw a different type of scenery here in Salisbury,” Brown said. “I saw different races coming together eating and mingling together as one.”

Food proved the catalyst for conversation and was drawing up that dialogue where it had not previously been.

The impact of the Food Truck Tuesdays was not lost on the introverted Fennell.

“He really enjoyed it,” Brown said. “Travis is very shy. Food Truck Tuesdays really pulled him out of that shyness. He became more and more involved in the community.”

Fennell was admitted to the hospital with cardiovascular complications. Ultimately, his cause of death was ruled a heart attack. Even in that condition, he never lost sight of the movement he and Brown had started.

“Travis kept saying he wanted to get out of the hospital so he could help with Food Truck Tuesdays,” Brown said.

On Friday, Brown indicated that she felt it is only right to keep Food Truck Tuesdays going in Fennell’s memory. Its popularity has taken off to the point that they were doing a similar event in Lexington on Thursdays. Brown knows she has to go on but acknowledged that the last week has been unfathomably painful.

“My whole heart was snatched out of my chest unexpectedly,” Brown said. “We did everything together. Everything we did, we did together. It’s going to be hard, but I know he is right by my side.”

Brown is grateful that they took tons of videos and pictures of everything they did.

“That is what is keeping me afloat right now,” Brown said.

While Fennell’s timidity was a public feature, Brown noted that he was not shy behind closed doors.

“He was funny,” she said. “He had the world’s most beautiful smile. He was a human calculator and was really good with making numbers add up.”

Most significant was Fennell’s presence in the household to his wife and children.

“He was my best friend,” Brown said. “He was everything that I prayed for and the world’s best dad.

“He was my diary. He was like an angel on earth.”

As Brown and the children attempt to process Fennell’s passing, the whole ordeal has felt like a bad dream that they are going to wake up from one day, that “he will come through the door and it will all have just been a really bad dream.”

Brown is committed to carrying on Fennell’s legacy. She knows it will be hard but noted that she is not alone — his spirit remains with her always.