MALVERN — Dara Lynn Martin of Malvern, Ark.,
passed away on Saturday, February 10, 2024. She was born on July 30, 1970, in Little Rock, Ark., to her loving parents, Raymond and Susan (Wheeler) Leatherwood.
Dara’s life was a testament to her unwavering faith and dedication to serving the Lord and her family. Alongside her husband, Jacob Martin, she led their congregation in worship every Sunday at The Church in Malvern where she played bass guitar and sang backup vocals.
Her nurturing spirit extended beyond the church walls. She delighted in homemaking; cooking meals from scratch, baking cinnamon rolls, and grilling for the whole family. She found joy in cultivating a vegetable garden with her children and tending to her chickens. Dara loved the outdoors and could often be found hiking or laying in the sun on her front deck.
Her beautiful, sparkling white smile and infectious laugh lit up whatever room she was in. She had her own unique sense of humor and if she thought something was the least bit funny, she would laugh and give you a gentle squeeze on the arm or a light brush on the shoulder to get you to laugh with her.
Dara’s greatest joy was found in her role as a mother and grandmother. She leaves behind her children, Alexis Reid Tadlock, Alyssa Raquel Reid (Connor) Davis, and Jacob Martin Jr.; along with her adored grandchildren, Charlotte Page Davis and Wilson Rutledge Davis, who affectionately called her “Dedo.”
She is accompanied in death by her husband, Jacob Aaron Martin, and youngest daughter, Aleah Kay Martin. She is preceded in death by her infant brother, Brian Lee Leatherwood; and son-in-law, Charles Tadlock.
In addition to her parents, Dara is survived by her siblings, Kevin Ray (Fran) Leatherwood, Nolan Kyle (Angela) Leatherwood, and Clay Harden (Lydia) Leatherwood, who shared in her joys and sorrows throughout her life’s journey.
While Dara’s earthly presence has come to an end, we know she lives for eternity in the presence of her Savior.
In lieu of flowers, please help the family celebrate Dara’s life by donating to a memorial fund to aid in costs of the funeral and final resting place: https://www. joincake.com/memorial-pages/ jacob-dara-and-aleah-martin/
A memorial service for Dara will be held Friday, February 23, 2024 at 2 p.m. at Geyer Springs First Baptist Church, 12400 Interstate 30, Little Rock, Ark. 72210.
What joy and blessings!
Mr. Ridout was a dedicated family man, good friend, sportsman and businessman. He participated in and excelled at all sports, enjoying duck hunting, pheasant hunting, fishing, golf, and jogging. He loved to win! He also enjoyed nothing more than watching his children and grandchildren in spelling bees, athletic activities or participating in hunting activities with them. They all inherited his competitive gene to be the best at whatever you do whether hunting, fishing, participating in football, soccer, basketball, tennis, track, volleyball, spelling bees, or top scorer on the act. He was quite the enthusiastic fan at their games and delighted in their feats.
His reputation with a shotgun and a duck caller were widely known and his duck hunting trips to Lost Bend and other lodges with his friends were tops on his list. He also enjoyed golfing with his friends and traveling with his wife. The annual golfing trips to Scottsdale, fishing and hunting trips to south Texas and the Dakotas, and poker games with his buddies, were always a highlight. His trips to Alaska were among his frontiersman adventures. All his friends and neighbors would often see him on his regular runs through the neighborhood, which he continued to do even in his aging years. He had quite a reputation for staying fit. Though he struggled with health issues after his diagnosis in 2016 with Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson’s, he remained a very determined man who was so loved and admired by his family and friends.
Over the years he served in the following capacities: Member of Searcy First Methodist Church; Board of Directors, First Security Bank in Searcy; American Heritage Advisory Board, Harding University; Board Member, International Lecture Series, Harding University; Board of Directors, Central Arkansas Hospital; Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors; Member of “100 for the Future” Committee, Searcy; Henderson State University Alumni Board; Finance Committee Chairman, Searcy FUMC; and Select Business Speaker, Young Professionals Network.
Mr. Ridout worked with his family to build The Ridout Home for Girls at Soaring Wings Ranch. This home provides Christian parents and a Christian home environment for eight girls. He and his wife were Cornerstone Supporters for the cancer center of excellence funded by the White County Medical Center Foundation and CARTI. The “Ridout Family Garden of Hope” was endowed by the Ridouts to help encourage the healing of patients in the chemotherapy room at CARTI. Among their philanthropic endeavors were: UAMS, where the family endowed an MRI suite in the breast center; Mayo Clinic where they promoted research on Lewy Body Dementia; MD Anderson Cancer Center for research on Clear Cell Carcinoma; and Arkansas Childrens Hospital are other institutions and causes the Ridout family have supported over the years.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Center at UAMS, Arkansas Childrens Hospital, or Soaring Wings Ranch, The Ridout Home for Girls, P.O. Box 1670, Conway, Ark. 72033.
Service will be held at Searcy First Methodist Church on Tuesday, February 27, at 2 p.m., preceded by a visitation at the church at 12:30 p.m. There will be a special section in the sanctuary for all Ridout employees who attend. There will be a private graveside gathering following the service to include family and close friends at White County Memorial Gardens.
Arrangements are entrusted to Powell Funeral Home of Searcy. www.powellfuneralhome.net