Notice regarding Coronavirus...Read More

Plan Ahead

McCombs, Darlene J.

November 10, 1951 –
 August 10, 2015

Obituary

Darlene Joanne McCombs was born November 10, 1951. She was born twenty minutes after her fraternal twin Dorothy Jeanne Hull in Rockledge, Florida, to Joanne Beatson Hull and Otis Eugene Hull. One of five siblings, De and her family lived in many amazing places: Florida, California, Oklahoma and Texas. After high school, she moved to Hawaii for three years. De eventually landed in Dallas, graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington with a BA in Sociology, and an MA in Public Administration. She then began a 28 year career at the City of Dallas. She married the love of her life, Steven Harbert McCombs, on August 9, 1985. Their son Jonathan Dewes McCombs was born on November 25, 1986. De passed away peacefully in her home among family and loved ones, a day after her and Steve’s 30th wedding anniversary on August 10, 2015. Of all the things in life that De loved, Steve and Jonathan shared first place. She was so proud of Jonathan and all his accomplishments. Jonathan shared De’s love of travel and her passion for nature that he has turned into his life’s calling. Steve was always her greatest admirer; they were unfailingly proud of each other and all they accomplished in their life together. De worked tirelessly for the City of Dallas in a variety of challenging roles, which she handled with the same determination and grace she lived her whole life. A naturalist at heart, she loved her final post at the Dallas Zoo, which she thought of as her dream job. She loved White Rock Lake and was a passionate supporter of it and the wildlife it supports. She and her husband Steve were active with the Corinthian Sailing Club for many years. In 2003 De combined her love for the lake with her dedication to the zoo and launched the Sailing for Rhinos to benefit the Dallas Zoo. When the demands of her disease made working for the city impossible, De threw herself into her next phase, mastering more skills than most have tried. She was an avid gardener, interior designer, leather worker, and photographer. De will be remembered for her kindness, which she extended to every person she met without qualification. She had a gift of bringing people together and make them see what they had in common. Even as she fought hard against her cancer, looking for the next clinical trial that might beat it or give her more time, she never gave into self-pity, and instead used her experience to lift the spirits of others stricken with the disease. She was an inspiration for as many who were battling cancer as those who were not. Her determination, kindness, strength, and grace will live on in her memory. She is survived by her husband Steve and her son Jonathan McCombs; twin-sister Dorothy Coshway, her sister Carolyn Sedinger and her husband Victor, her brother George Hull and his wife Rochelle, and her sister Susan Lengen and her husband Paul; and also by her stepsisters Sharon Fowler Williams and Pamela Fowler Boss and her husband Bill. A Memorial Service, celebrating De’s life will be held Saturday, August 22, 2015, 11 a.m., at Highland Park United Methodist Church, on the corner of Hillcrest Rd. and Mockingbird Ln. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to The Susan G. Komen Foundation, or the Dallas Zoo, or to the Highland Park United Methodist Youth Fund.   Arrangements under the direction of: ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home 10116 E. Northwest Highway Dallas, TX  75238 214-340-8008

Leave A Condolence

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Testimonials

R. Driver
Read More
"Excellent customer service, they made you feel like you were their only customer. Very helpful and explained what we should expect during the process. They basically took care of our needs during this time. They contacted DFW National Cemetery for us which made it a smooth experience. Definitely will use them again."
K. Barker
Read More
"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
R. Woll
Read More
"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
Read More
"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
Read More
"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
Read More
"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
Read More
"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
Read More
"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
Previous
Next

Get In Touch

Locations

Immediate Attention

Contact Us

Preston Road

“George Bush at Preston”

Aria - Northwest Highway

“5 Miles East of Hillcrest Memorial Park / Lake Highlands”

Funeral Homes Irving Tx: Aria Cremation

“Belt Line Road at 183”

Fannin Memorial Gardens

Veterans Funeral Services

Darst Funeral Home

Search Obituaries

Search

Important Information

  1. If death has occurred and or is imminent, please call the Aria location nearest you.

    PRESTON ROAD
    214.306.6700

    NORTHWEST HIGHWAY
    214.340.8008

    BELTLINE ROAD
    972.607.4400

  2. Click here to Download the Cremation Forms.
  3. Have the cremation authorization form notarized
  4. Fax the forms back to us at:
    • NW Highway
      214-340-8009
    • Preston Rd.
      972-526-7410
    • Belt Line Rd.
      972-573-1008
 

Additional Information