Donna Lynn Lawson Cannon

Donna Lynn Lawson Cannon, 45, of Avondale Estates, GA, passed away on Monday, October 1, 2012 while undergoing a surgical procedure. Donna was born in DeKalb County, GA, on October 14, 1966. A near lifetime resident of Avondale Estates, she attended Avondale Elementary and Avondale High School, where she graduated with honors in 1984. She thereafter attended Georgia Tech and then Emory University, where she graduated with honors from the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. In 1988, she wed her longtime friend and fiancé, Larry N. Cannon. Donna and Larry were blessed with one son, Benjamin Isaac Cannon, 15, who is now a sophomore at Gwinnett Christian Academy. Donna's long and highly productive professional career included providing compassionate nursing care to patients at DeKalb Medical, Decatur Hospital, Scottish Rite and Kaiser Permanente, as well as teaching nursing classes at DeKalb Community College. While she enjoyed all of her jobs, her one true love was working in the DeKalb Medical Cancer Center, where her unique talents and abilities could be best put to use. Health wise, Donna's life has been an uphill battle since she was a small child, but all who know her will attest that she's more than made up for poor physical health with a huge, loving spirit. Through her work in healthcare and at her church she has positively affected countless lives, always with a positive attitude which incorporated good humor and a wealth of practical wisdom which combined to make a bad situation better. By a yardstick of years, Donna's tenure here on earth has been disappointingly short. But when the quality of her life is considered in light of the many other lives she's improved through her loving intervention and care, the true picture emerges. Donna has been one of a kind, someone who has truly taken to heart Jesus's commandment to love others as oneself. And because she has, a multitude of people now mourn her loss. She is survived by her husband Larry Cannon; son Ben Cannon; parents John and Nancy Lawson; sister and her husband Karen and Tim Hubbard and their children Madison and Drew; brother and his wife Brad and Karen Lawson and their children Jake, Brand, Sybil and Brooks. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 4, at Avondale Pattillo United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, October 3, from 2:00-4:00 and again from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at A. S. Turner and sons Funeral Home and Crematory. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Avondale Pattillo United Methodist Church or to the DeKalb Medical Cancer Center, both of which were near and dear to her heart.


Funeral Home:
A. S. Turner & Sons
2773 North Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033