Dwayne Byron Darling
1936 – 2022
Dwayne Byron Darling of Ahwahnee passed away in his residence on January 17, 2022, at the age of 85, after a long and complicated battle with congestive heart failure. He proudly served overseas in the 82nd, 101st, & 111th Airborne. Then upon leaving the Army, he served as a reservist to the National Guard. He attended college for Architectural Design and Mechanical Engineering.
Dwayne worked for over 40 years as a union glazier in Los Angeles County. He had a love and passion for speed on the drag strip and on the water with his childhood buddies for decades. He enjoyed restoring and building cars or boats throughout the years. Dwayne enjoyed volunteering for the Forestry Services, Fire Department, and wherever there was a need for a special cause. He was there to help and lend a hand. Friends would tell you he loved to talk and have a conversation with anyone who was willing to sit and listen.
Dwayne loved his family and children dearly. He was a great mentor to all his friends and their families over the decades. There have been many stories that were shared over the years, He lived a full life until he became very ill back in 1990. He was a walking & talking miracle for the last 32 years of his life.
Dwayne was preceded in death by his parents William Byron Darling and Emily Mae Pavlick; his son Michael Shane Burton. He is survived by his wife Mary Ilene Darling and three children, Laurie Jean Archuleta of Omaha, NE; Tammy Lyn Burton of Coarsegold, CA; Daniel Alan Burton of Phoenix, AZ. In addition to his children, he was blessed with 18 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Celebration of Life services are being held on Saturday, February 5th, 2022, at 10:30 a.m., at Ponderosa Basin Chapel, located at 5611 Creel Road, Mariposa CA 95338.
A reception will be held immediately following church services.
Dwayne Byron Darling.
