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Dawes, Donna Kay

February 24, 1947 –
 October 21, 2015

Obituary

Donna Kay Dawes passed away on Oct. 21st, 2015 at 4 p.m. in her home with loved ones present after an extended, valiant and brave battle with cancer.  Donna was born on Feb. 24th, 1947 in Carrier Mills, Illinois to Wayne Lanham and Romayne Crawford Lanham.  She is survived by her husband of 40 years Ron, her son Ryan, his wife Heidi, nieces Rhona Pinkney, Becky Schmelzer, & Kim Sampson and five cousins.  That’s the basic factual synopsis but Donna was so, so much more to those who knew and loved her. To Ron she was a wife, lover, confidant, advisor, travel companion, and best friend.  She was mother, mentor, and guidepost to Ryan. She was caring, dependable, loving, thoughtful, and considerate to those fortunate to have her as a friend and co-worker. She worked at Braniff Airlines until it’s bankruptcy then 18+ years at Delta Airlines in reservation sales, cabin service, baggage handler, ticket counter, and flight attendant.  Donna was willing to do whatever it took to help the company she loved succeed, support her co-workers, and provide service to its customers.  She retired from Delta in 2001. Following a few years where she partnered with Ron in an event photography business, Donna began work for the Plano Police in the Records department.  She took great pleasure in helping the public and great pride in the department.  She was forced to retire from the PD by her illness. Donna loved to serve the public.  She served six years on the Little Elm School Board and two years on the Board of Directors of her homeowners association where she also organized several National Night Out Against Crime events.  She served five years as a volunteer in the Citizens Assisting Plano Police program. Donna was a warm, outgoing, extroverted friend always ready to reach out and help others or pick up and head out for a fun road trip.  She was a serious foodie who loved to cook and serve her family and friends.  She created the wedding cakes for several of her friends.  Donna also loved fishing for the challenge, the calm enjoyment of it, and the preparation & cooking of the catch. Donna was a big Jimmy Buffett fan.  She loved his songs and over the years, we had many wonderful times at his concerts and tailgate parties.  We will close with this quote from one of Jimmy’s books: Grief is like the wake behind a boat. It starts out as a huge wave that follows close behind you and is big enough to swamp and drown you if you suddenly stop moving forward. But if you do keep moving, the big wake will eventually dissipate. And after a long time, the waters of your life get calm again, and that is when the memories of those who have left begin to shine as bright and as enduring as the stars above. Jimmy Buffett – A Salty Piece of Land We will all remember Donna’s shining star forever. Service will be held at 3:00 pm Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015 St. Andrews United Methodist Church 5801 W. Plano Parkway Plano, TX 75023 In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society in Donna’s name at this link:  www.cancer.org Arrangements under the direction of: ARIA Cremation Service & Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700

    Susan Ratcliff
    26 Oct 2015
    5:59pm

    Donna has taught us all how to fight cancer with grace and courage. Her cheerful spirit will be missed in the neighborhood. So glad our paths crossed!

    Debora Young
    27 Oct 2015
    5:47am

    God Bless you Donna Dawes and your family. You touched so many lives in a kind caring manor. Your friends at Delta Air Lines love you and remember your sweet presence and quite nature.

    Karen Elwonger
    27 Oct 2015
    7:33am

    I had the pleasure of working with Donna in DL reservations and I remember her with a beautiful smile willing to help when needed. We wish Donna the peace and joy that surpasses our understanding and will pray for her family.

    Betty and Bob Mayfield
    27 Oct 2015
    9:31am

    We were so sorry to hear of Donna’s passing.
    Donna was a special and unique person. She will be deeply missed by everyone who knew her. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and yours always.

    Eulalia hallman
    27 Oct 2015
    9:58am

    May Donna rest in peace. I worked with her a long time in res in DFW. My sympathy to her family.

    Cris Dally
    27 Oct 2015
    10:51am

    Donna (and Family, My deepest sympathy to those you left behind. You were a fighter and a wonderful example of a loving, caring person. Our days at Delta were many and great. Your ‘New Wings’ have flown you to Peace and Glory.

    Rita and Steve Millwee
    27 Oct 2015
    11:30am

    Donna fought one of the most courageous and dignified battles we’ve ever seen. Beauty and grace under extreme circumstances. She will be missed.
    In prayer…Rita and Steve

    Kathleen Kelly
    27 Oct 2015
    2:04pm

    Donna was beautiful inside and out. God chose another angel for His heavenly choir.

    Diane Starnes
    27 Oct 2015
    3:13pm

    I worked with Donna at the Customer Service Desk while she went through her first bout with cancer. She was a trooper and I’ll always remember her as a friend. She gave me many recipes during those years. She will be missed.
    God bless Ron and the family!

    Donna Leslie
    27 Oct 2015
    4:56pm

    RIP Donna Dawes, it was a pleasure to know and work with you for so many years. You fought a long and hard battle, praise Ron for being at your side through it all. You will always be remembered for your joyful heart.

    Vickie Joubert-Smith
    28 Oct 2015
    1:13pm

    God has an angel ready and willing to work. It was a pleasure to work with you and your smile brighten the office. Blessing to your family.

    Erie Stelly
    28 Oct 2015
    6:34pm

    May the memories comfort you in this time of grief. Donna’s smile is an everlasting memory. Rest in peace.

    Dallas Reservation coworker

    Shelia Jones
    29 Oct 2015
    1:21am

    To the family, please remember God is in control. You may not have been ready for Donna to go but God said different. I remember good thoughts about Donna when we worked off Stemming. We were truly a family. I will truly miss Donna. She was always very kind.

    SHELIA Jones

    Gloria Umphress
    29 Oct 2015
    8:49am

    Donna was surrounded by a soft light that touched all those around her. We were blessed by her presence with us at Delta. She has made the world a brighter place.

    Ines and Johnnie Dudeck
    29 Oct 2015
    12:27pm

    Donna was truly a beautiful and caring woman. Our prayers are with your family. Rest in peace.

    Sharon Kyle
    29 Oct 2015
    2:46pm

    It’s been over 25 years since I knew Donna in DALDLRES, but I remember her like it was yesterday. Her smile and positive attitude were infectious and turned every day around her to a beautiful day. Cherish the memories. She will be with you in spirit forever.

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Testimonials

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

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