Damian Jamiyl Shelton, 25, of Dallas, Texas, died after an epic battle with Thanos on May 12, 2018. He was born November 17, 1992 in Sherman, Texas to Michelle (Shelton) Howell and Marcus Davis. Damian was a 2011 graduate of Sherman High School. While in high school, he found his love of working with kids while coaching gymnastics at Gymnastics Sport Center. Upon graduation, his passion grew stronger as he began working with the kids at ASI Gymnastics. There was never a day that he didn’t talk about “his” kids and their accomplishments. Each kid held a special place in his heart, especially his Gymmie Kids.
He was an avid sports fan and participant, who was not afraid to try any sport or bet on any game (just ask his fiancée and friends). He had a fondness for the great outdoors, loving nothing more than packing up the car for a weekend camping trip and hitting the open road. If he wasn’t outdoors, you could find him indulging in his newest video game or often watching Marvel movies a million times over. He was the one that told you the best Netflix shows and even let you mooch off his account (anything to get you to watch the show).
Damian was larger than life with his infectious smile, goofy laugh, and “no regrets” mentality. He was a believer in the love of family and you never had to wonder where you stood in his life. Damian was always looking for new adventures and making lasting memories with those he loved. On March 23, 2018, he embarked on his greatest adventure when he FINALLY proposed to the love of his life, who we all knew was out of his league.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Mae Frances Davis, Billy Davis, and Lillie Bryant.
Damian is survived by his fiancée, Cristina Cereijo, of Dallas; mother, Michelle Howell and wife, Holly of Mansfield; father, Marcus Davis of Sherman; four siblings, Macy of Mansfield, Christopher of Temple, Jada and Jasmine, both of Sherman. He is also survived by his Meme & Papa, Johnnie and Martha Shelton of Sherman; Gigi, Sue Howell of Arp; Papa Money, Earl Bryant of Denison; and great-grandmother, Sue “Nana” Roberts of Arp. He will be fondly remembered by numerous family members, friends, students and especially his supervillain BFF, Samson.
A memorial services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Sunday, May 20, 2018, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home Chapel, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. There will be plenty of time for those that would like to speak and we will be visiting after the service has ended. Please come as you are because we all know Damian would show up in a pair of basketball shorts if he could.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the new Damian Shelton Scholarship Fund at ASI Gymnastics. We feel like there is no better way to honor his legacy than to make sure that kids can learn and enjoy gymnastics the same way he did. You can make your donation through ASI Gymnastics website: http://asigymnastics.com/damian/. You can also send a check to: ASI Childrens Charities, 11910 Greenville Ave # 502, Dallas, Texas 75243, Re: Damian Shelton Scholarship