by Amber Morton
Damon Morton
Born October 1st, 1970 in Fort Wayne Indiana, Damon Morton was inherently different and as soon as he could walk and talk it became evident that he was special. He was the only child who wore a bow tie to the first day of school and the desire to be set apart never left him. To understand Damon is to know the evolutionary process that is his life. The planned paths and the unforeseen bumps in the road have paved a truly unique life for Damon and produced an individual unlike any other. Damon was a good child by all accounts. He was the middle child, raised alongside his older brother and younger sister. The memories of his siblings are happy ones. Usually up to something mischievous with his brother and helping care for his little sister, he thankfully describes his childhood as simply a good one. He was blessed to grow up in a time where his curfew was when the street lights came on and he took advantage of that. His elementary years were chalk full of fun filled adventures with his closest friends who are still some of his closest friends to this day. In the midst of bike rides all over town and pinching pennies at the local convenience store, football became a fun pass time for the young group of boys. One afternoon Damon demonstrated his unusual ability to jump higher than anyone else by attempting to catch the football by jumping over one of his friends like a cricket, landing him the nickname Cricket that ended up sticking with him the rest of his life. He went on to become a track star in his high school years at Snider High School and was a friend to all. Not only did the jocks love him but the introverted band kids, the chess playing nerds, and kids from all of the traditional cliques in high school loved Damon as he was known as a friend to anyone and everyone. Just before graduating Damon was voted ‘Most Likely to Become President” by his peers. He has never served in a political position but he has been shaking hands and kissing babies ever since. After high school Damon went on to begin a career in retail that took him all over the Midwest traveling with Kinney Shoe Stores. Fresh out of high school and ready for independence he excitedly took an offer of a thirty thousand a year salary with the company thinking at the time he had hit the lottery. His passion for helping improve individual and team performance were utilized and he loved his new found career. With this new and drastically different schedule and lifestyle however, Damon found life to be a little more stressful than expected. As he was working in the back of one of the stores one afternoon Damon reached up to grab something off the top shelf and found himself waking up in a bed at the local hospital shortly afterwards. Not only had he suffered a seizure but paralysis had set in for a majority of his body. Young and able bodied just shortly before, his prognosis baffled and frustrated both Damon and the doctors. Every test came up inconclusive but eventually Damon would experience a miracle. Having no answers and a little bit of faith Damon was at Calvary Baptist Church one Sunday morning. Damon has a strong background of faith and the requirement of his mother to be in church every Sunday was never met with opposition. Damon loved Church. He loved the lively music, the hopeful messages, and the gossip after church between the church ladies entertained him the most. His love for the church and the faith that had fostered from that would pay off this particular Sunday as God showed up in a mighty way. With the help of his fellow brothers in Christ and the determination to get out of the wheelchair the doctors thought he would be bound to the rest of his life, Damon stood to his feet and walked to the front of the altar! The congregation erupted in praise and Damon finally knew what it meant to walk by faith. Damon was never the same again. After regaining his ability to walk and work again, Damon decided it was time for a change and started working with Waterfield Mortgage. At the age of 27 he was offered a promotion and was relocated to Dallas, Texas where he became a successful mortgage broker. That success did not come overnight though as he had to hold down three jobs in the beginning just to survive. Damon has always loved to work though and staying busy is in his DNA. More than any job he’s ever had his children are what he loves most in life though and during the thirteen years he spent in Texas he relished in being a father to his children, a dream of his since he was a small boy. In 2010 at the age of 40 he relocated back to Indiana with two of his children to help care for his grandmother who he had an incredibly close relationship with. Through life’s many uncertainties one thing that was certain was the connection he had with both his grandmother and grandfather. It didn’t matter how much time had passed, when they were finally reunited it was as if no time had passed at all. For Damon, growing up as a child, weekends were full of breakfast dates at the local diner with his grandfather on Saturdays and church shenanigans on Sundays with his grandmother. On more than one occasion Damon and his grandmother were threatened to be separated at church if they couldn’t stop laughing while the pastor preached. The love and unconditional support his grandparents showed him all of his life made their passing difficult for Damon. In 2014 Damon’s grandmother went home to be with the Lord and Damon was right by her side up until the moment she passed peacefully. He left briefly to run an errand and she went on to glory as he was away. Damon has always trusted the Lord’s timing and maybe, just maybe, it was a sweet and loving last gesture of her to spare him that painful moment. Grief has never stopped Damon from living with joy though and as he was saying goodbye to one woman in his life he was saying hello to two new women. At the age of 43 Damon got married and welcomed his last child. To see Damon married was a dream of his grandmother’s and although she never lived to see that dream become a reality her memory lives on through Damon’s testimony of the significant impact she had on his life. Along with this new season of life came new career opportunities. Starting as just a side hustle while growing his career in the mortgage industry, Damon began waiting tables at Red Lobster in Dallas just one day a week for some extra cash. Within a few months Damon had regular guests that would wait all day just to sit at one of his tables to be served and receive the one-of-a-kind “Cricket experience.” Damon ended up never leaving the restaurant industry working just very part time all throughout his years in Texas and in those years of serving his guests not only did Damon develop strong relationships with many people but he developed a love and extensive knowledge of the restaurant world as a whole. He was ultimately promoted to manager within the Darden Restaurants company. After relocating back to Indiana and the passing of his grandmother, Damon decided to pursue his dream. Owning and operating his very own restaurant was something he had wanted for a long time so he opened up Cricket’s Cafe in mid-September of 2015 at Glenbrook Mall in Fort Wayne, Indiana! Serving soul food that drew shoppers and mall employees alike, the restaurant took off quickly. Working 80 hours a week he poured everything he had into this new venture, and although success was experienced quickly, he ultimately had to close due to unexpected circumstances. This news was heartbreaking for him but Damon left a mark on his community in the short time he served them and he will always be remembered for his “cricket’s crack.” This detour, though didn’t stop Damon from pursuing happiness. In efforts to rebuild a new life Damon relocated with his family in 2016 to Ocala, Florida to pick back up with his career in the corporate world of restaurants. Unfamiliar with the unique world called The Villages and the future it held for Damon, he continued to give his everything at the workplace like he always had. This unwavering devotion to the guest experience landed him at Prima Italian Steakhouse on the Brownwood square in The Villages as he was sought after by the owners when they heard of his reputation with guests. Damon’s infectious personality and unfailing effort to make sure guests leave happier than when they arrived has caused Damon to become affectionately known as “The Mayor of Brownwood.” He leads his staff with compassion, pushes his team to excellence, and truly embodies what it is to be fun but fair. You can catch Damon performing his go to karaoke song ‘My Girl’ at the request of his guests and then turn around to help the busser clean off a table as he believes in the value of everyone being a team player. When the inevitable happens and life isn’t so happy Damon is the first to offer a hug and shoulder to cry on. Still a friend to anyone and everyone, many have testified to Damon’s non-judgemental support when they needed it the most. Sharing his faith with all who will listen Damon will break out in sermon sharing the miracle working power of The Lord that he’s experienced in his life. Believers and skeptics alike have a hard time walking away when he starts humming and singing about his Jesus. Damon displays a bold spirit of resilience and makes use of every opportunity to laugh. He truly is one of a kind and will leave a legacy of finding joy in the midst of all that is going on in the world around us. So as he enters the fifty-third year of his life, we celebrate him. We celebrate his ability to rap on queue, his habit of giving everyone a nickname, and his uncanny talent for taking a bad picture but most importantly we celebrate who he is. He is kind, hardworking, compassionate, funny, loving, and the first one to step up when help is needed. We don’t just love Damon for what he does and what he brings to all of our lives but we love him for who he is. Happy Birthday Damon from all who love you.
Happy birthday Dada. I love you. -munch [Happy birthday Dada.]