Cover photo for Dana Lynne Work's Obituary
Dana Lynne Work Profile Photo
1963 Dana 2019

Dana Lynne Work

November 28, 1963 — July 17, 2019

On Wednesday afternoon, July 17, 2019, Dana Lynne Work stepped into the arms of Jesus after a tragic accident during a family vacation 5 days earlier. She was the daughter of Joe and Carlanna Gill, and the sister of Melanie Sharp, all of Cleveland. Dana was born in Crossett, Arkansas November 28, 1963. After meeting Jamison Work during their days as students at Belmont University, Nashville, they were married at First Baptist, Cleveland on January 5, 1985. God blessed their marriage in many ways. First and foremost are their two children, Joe Reid Work of Cleveland, and Mary Kate Kitsmiller and her husband Matthew of Chattanooga.

Dana attended both Lee University and Belmont University and was a 1987 graduate of Texas Women’s University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education; later she earned a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Lee University, an Education Specialist degree in Leadership Administration from Tennessee Technological University, and a TEFL Certification from the University of Toronto. Over nearly 20 years in Education, Dana taught students from elementary ages all the way to the University level.

She taught general classroom instruction in Pilot Point, Texas, Rome, Georgia, Tennessee Christian Academy, and Bradley County schools. In Special Education, Dana developed Bradley County Schools original Response to Intervention program and served as a system-wide Special Education Instructional Coordinator. She also served as an Assistant Principal at Bradley Central High School; worked as an Education Project Manager for the Tennessee State Department of Education; traveled nation-wide as an Educational Consultant for the 95 Percent Group in Chicago, Illinois; and taught at Lee University in an adjunct role. The past three years Dana and her husband have lived and worked in the Middle East. Dana was the Director of Student Services at Dubai American Academy, and most recently the Special Education teacher at Qatar Academy Mshereib in Doha.

Apart from becoming a follower of Jesus at the age of 13 and serving Him joyfully, the thrill of her life has always been her devotion to, pride in, and her delight in her two children. She considered loving her children and investing her life in them as her greatest accomplishment. All of her many accolades and accomplishments pale in comparison. Being a mother was her greatest joy, second only to loving and serving Jesus.

For almost 35 years Dana was a beautifully faithful pastor’s wife as she and Jamie served four wonderful congregations in Texas, Georgia, West Tennessee and East Tennessee. The last 18 years of their U.S. ministry, before moving overseas in 2016, was at the Candies Creek Baptist Church in Charleston, Tennessee. She has friends and teaching colleagues all across America and in many nations around the world, and she is already greatly missed by her family.

The family will receive friends from 4:00pm until 8:00pm on Sunday July 21, 2019 at First Baptist Church of Cleveland located at 1275 Stuart Road, Cleveland, TN 37312. They will also receive friends from 1:00pm until 3:00pm on Monday July 22, 2019 at Candies Creek Baptist Church located at the address below. A celebration of Dana’s life will be held at 3:00pm on Monday at Candies Creek, with burial to follow in the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to either the Pre-School Ministry at Candies Creek Baptist Church, Charleston, Tennessee, or to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Gifts for either ministry can be so designated and mailed to Candies Creek Baptist Church, 294 Old Eureka Road NW, Charleston, Tennessee, 37310. You are invited to share a personal memory of Dana or your condolences with her family at her online memorial located at www.companionfunerals.com.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Dana Lynne Work, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Monday, July 22, 2019

1:00 - 3:00 pm (Central time)

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Service

Monday, July 22, 2019

Starts at 3:00 pm (Central time)

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Burial

Candies Creek Baptist Church Cemetery

294 Old Eureka Road Northwest, Charleston, TN 37310

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Guestbook

Photo Gallery

Visits: 68

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Send Flowers

Send Flowers

Plant A Tree

Plant A Tree