Honoring Demario Stanberry- Memorial Help

Hi everyone.

To those who don’t know me, I’m the oldest sister of Christina Annette Rummel Stanberry. Growing up we were as tight as they come. I admired her for her love for God, intelligence, her beauty, and her compassion. Even though I was the oldest I looked up to her during our younger years.

Mario Stanberry and Christina met in Richmond and instantly fell in love with one another. He was a very hard working man who always put his love for Jesus, Christina, Christopher, Isiah, and Ava first. He genuinely treated the people he worked for and with like family and enjoyed going to his job and selling vehicles with RVA Autos. He worshipped the ground my sister walked on. His greatest calling was being a husband and father and he touched every single life he made contact with in a loving way.

Life was not easy for De and Christina. They suffered devastating hardships during COVID. Ava at the age of 5 was diagnosed with Epilepsy. Her seizures were frequent, intense, and usually happened late at night. They spent countless days and nights at hospitals until medication was adjusted to get them under control. Financially they were put through the ringer. Too proud to ask for help, but family stepped in to lighten their load as much as they possibly could. Christina and De have always been fighters taking on the blows life has dealt them head on. Always praising Jesus for the things they have and always praying for a better tomorrow when things are tough.

Roughly two months ago they learned Isaiah has Autism. Christina ans De were completely heart broken, but determined to make sure that Isaiah had the care he needs. They have just begun this process.

Christina became a stay at home mom a week ago to make sure Ava and Isaiah have the constant care they need. This was so hard on her. It was not by her own choice at the time. Life pulled her away from her full time job and unfortunately her employer at the time needed more than what she could give. Her children and her family have always come first.

At 845 yesterday morning, 7 year old Isaiah woke from bed panicked because he knows he gets on his bus at 815 am. He sticks to a very strict routine. He came downstairs and found his Daddy on the sofa. “Daddy!! It’s 845. I get on my bus at 815.” De didn’t respond and Isaiah went to his Mommy’s room. He woke Tina and told her he missed the bus and that Daddy wouldn’t wake up. Tina said instantly she knew something was wrong. She told Isaiah to stay in her bedroom and went down to the living room. Despite what she told him, Isaiah followed her down the stairs. My sister said her husbands name. She yelled it. He gave no response. She made her way to the sofa and touched him. Instantly she knew her world was gone.

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the screams of someone who has lost their soulmate…. I heard them yesterday for the first time in my life. It is soul shattering. It alters who you are and it changes the way that you value life, your partner, and your family. I could never imagine in a million years what my sister and her children and living right now, but for a brief second I experienced a small glimpse of it through her cry’s for her husband. It was terrifying.

De has left behind a wife who loved him more than anything in this entire universe. He has three children who are completely devastated. They are 15, 7, and 6. Ava age 6 has sat with knees to her chest and her head buried since losing her Daddy. She began seizing again at 3 am because of all the stress her little body, king, and heart is going through. Christina walked her home all night last night crying out for her husband and watching over Ava. Isaiah who is 7 went home to be with my mom. He’s scared and he doesn’t fully understand. Sweet Chris who is 15 is trying to be a rock for his mom. He internalizes everything. He is struggling. He is so brave and so strong. De was a loving son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend, employee, and coworker. Christina’s family loved him as if he were flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone. He was one of us.

Please pray for the entire family. Please pray for all who are grieving the loss of an amazing man. Please say an extra prayer for my sister Christina, her children, De’s mom and Dad, his beautiful sister and her family.

Today I will have a GoFundMe up and running. Unfortunately this was very sudden and there was no insurance policy to help with arrangements. Once this is taken care of to honor De anything above what is needed will go directly to the care of his children Ava, Isaiah, and Chris.

If you don’t feel comfortable dontating through GoFundMe I will provide additional information for checks to be made payable to. Send me a private message.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.