Dana M. Barton's Obituary
Dana Michelle Barton, 32, of Davidson flew to Jesus on October 28, 2023 at her home surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Charlotte on September 20, 1991 to Jon and Kathy Barton.
Dana's courageous 4 1/2 year battle with Stage 4 metastatic melanoma sadly came to an end. Throughout this battle, her vibrant personality and tenacity was a light and encouragement to others on this journey. This was evident not only through those closest to her, but total strangers she connected with through social media and a loving, supportive online melanoma community (her "Melahomies") that was full of young people, like herself, that helped encourage her to keep fighting. God worked through her reconnection with loving, close friends from her days in youth group at The Cove Church, Hope Towner Slayton and Elizabeth Loebs Bracey, who led Dana back to her spiritual roots and relationship with Jesus. She was re-baptized on March 19, 2023 by Brett Gray, pastor and former youth leader. Dana loved music and had a voice like an angel. She was always singing, and was a member of the Testify Youth Choir for six years. It was also Dana's love for music and how it touched her life that was significant in her reconnection with God.
Dana was an avid baker and cook creating the most beautiful delectable cakes, cupcakes, cookies, breads and provisions imaginable through her Instagram sites "danas_sweetbites" and "mykindanomz". She was a total foodie and was completely self-taught. Her other passions were fitness, nature, animals, especially her cats Baby and Pearl who comforted her on a daily basis. Dana loved blessing others with her compassionate, huge heart. She went back to school to earn her CNA certification and completed it just prior to her disease progression. It was her desire to enter the health field as a nurse or other health professional to care for others. She was especially talented with children and the elderly. Dana was always doing something for others, and had a unleashed propensity for gift-giving. It would be totally remiss not to mention Dana's immense sense of humor. Laughter could easily turn into gut-wrenching, bent over crying at her hilarious faces and comebacks with her favorite Snapchat filters or original, silly antics.
Dana had a deep love for her family. Survivors include her parents, Jon and Kathy Barton; sister, Lauren Sherman; grandmother Catherine Smith; aunts Nancy Jane Sharp, Becky Bailey, Rhonda Smith, uncle Mickey Smith; great-aunts Patsy Knight and Vivian Clifton; cousins Shannon and Greg Chowning, Clint and Kristina Bailey, Mike and Julie Smith, Derrick and Melissa Smith, Jeff and Donna Knight, Chris and Jennifer Knight, John & Karen Love, Robin and Walter Benjamin, Audrey Hitt, Meredith and Perry Miles, Sherrad Barton, Jean and Fred Coates, Joyce and Tim Gilland, Judy and Mike Griffin, Jim and Diana Caldwell and Jackie and Bart Menser. She is predeceased by her Granddaddy Charles Barton and Mimi Nancy Sharp Shaw, Paw Paw Harry Smith, uncles Donnie Bailey and Chuck Barton.
Kathy, Jon and Lauren would especially like to thank Dana's die-hard posse of friends, especially those that have seen her and us through these difficult years and recent darkest days; long-time, heart and soul besties Logan Holshouser, Lauren Straus, Brittany Fender. And, also, cat-loving friend Erika Wilfong and Natalie Sue Janis (her "Fighting Pretty" Melahomie buddy), Kelly Flock, Cindy Lersten and Yusuf Benallal and his loving, supportive family. Our deepest gratitude goes to The Cove Church, its fervent prayer team, Kathy's LifeGroup ladies and her Davidson College colleagues, Joy Steele and her voluminous talents for comforting, organizing and orchestrating care, Steve and Sandi Gambill, John and Kim Morse, Louise Borel, and all the many loving family, friends, and total strangers who have prayed for Dana and supported her GoFundMe so she could explore different medical expertise; her oncologists, Drs. Jennifer Atlas (Levine Cancer Center), Hussein Tawbi (MD Anderson Cancer Center), Evan Lipson (John Hopkins), Anna Pavlick (Weill Cornell), Duke Cancer Center Clinical Trial Team and her most-beloved radio oncologist, Dr. Thomas Beckham (MD Anderson) along with numerous nurses and staff. Also, to the amazing LKN Hospice Team/Ari Partners Amanda Spurrier, Beth Blevins, Mercedes Espinal , Karen Petty , Brian Sartor and her loving, private nurse, Brea Sherrill, “Jon’s Epiphany family,
https://epiphanyministriesnc.org/ especially Rev. Patience Brumley and Melissa Andretti; https://www.12ordinarywomen.com/ And, the Grady Swicegood Sunday School Class, First Baptist Church, Matthews.
In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made online to Emily Rose EMpwr Foundation @Facebook or https://instagram.com/emilyroseempwr?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng==, Michael Matters Foundation (www.michaelmatters.org), LKN Hospice/via Health Partners, Davidson www.viahp.org. The family prefers your support of these organizations over flowers.
A celebration of life service will be held Sunday, November 5 at 3:00 p.m. at The Cove Church, 197 Langtree Lane, Mooresville, NC 29117. A reception will follow.
James Funeral Home of Huntersville is serving the family.
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