Funeral Services for Jonathon Connor Darden will be Monday, January 5, 2026, at 2PM in the chapel of Dennard First National Funeral Home with Rev. Craig Beeman officiating. Interment will follow in Shady Grove Cemetery. Visitation will take place Monday, January 5, 2026 at 1pm in the chapel, until the time of service.

Jonathon Connor Darden was born November 26, 1992, and passed away on January 1, 2026. We come together in grief, but also in gratitude for a life defined by creativity, compassion, and love.

Connor was a crafter, someone who worked with his hands and his imagination. He found purpose in creating raw ideas and shaping them into something meaningful. His crafting reflected patience, care, and pride in the process. What he made often carried pieces of himself and served as quiet reminders of his ability to bring beauty and purpose into the world.

Connor had a calling for helping others. He obtained his CNA license because he genuinely loved caring for people. This was not simply a profession for him: it was an expression of his heart. Through his work, he offered comfort, dignity, and compassion to those who needed it most. Caring for others came naturally to Connor, and it was a defining part of who he was.

Connor is survived by his mother, Wendy Pursell, his father and stepmother, Johnny and Cheryl Darden, his grandmother, Wanda McGuire, good friend, Paul Gillespie, and a number of friends and family who love him dearly and will continue to carry his memory forward. He is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Ann Darden, Butch and Nancy Darden, and maternal grandfather, Joseph Pursell.

Let us remember Connor not only with sorrow, but with gratitude for his creativity, service to others, and for the love he so freely shared. May we honor him by carrying forward the kindness, patience, and care that defined his life.

Pallbearers will be Dolph Darden, Caden Gillespie, Caleb Gillespie, Mark Gillespie, Lyn Meredith, and Jeffrey Pursell. Honorary Pallbearers are David Gillespie, Tonya Parker, and Neeley Smith.

Condolences at www.dennardfirstnational.com