Dara LeAnn Michael

Dara LeAnn Michael, known to those who loved her best as "Dara Bear," "Mommeo," “Mama,” and "Banny" to her grandkids passed away on March 24, 2026, in Clarkston, Michigan. She was 62 years old.  She was a woman who lived loudly, loved fiercely, and never met a room she couldn't light up with her laughter.

Born on September 11, 1963, in Louisville, Kentucky, Dara grew up with a spirit that was impossible to contain and even harder to forget. She was the kind of person who filled every room she walked into, not quietly, but with laughter, warmth, and a flair all her own. She had a heart of gold, though she liked to keep it tucked behind a personality that could only be described as wonderfully outrageous.

Dara built a career as a Registered Nurse, dedicating herself to the care of others with the same generosity she brought to every corner of her life. She was also a proud business owner, bringing her determination and creativity into everything she pursued. But if you asked Dara what she was most proud of, she would have told you without hesitation: her family. She was a mother of two and an adoring grandmother of five, and she never missed a chance to cheer from the sidelines at her grandchildren's sporting events or sit down with them for a round of cards or games.

Dara was a true original. She was the kind of person who pulled you in close and made you feel like you belonged. She had an eclectic fashion sense and a well-known love of shoes, clothes, and purses that made every outing an event. She was an avid painter and a devoted Bob Ross enthusiast who found real peace and joy in putting brush to canvas. Her creativity spilled over into crafts of all kinds, and her kitchen was another canvas entirely. Dara was an amazing cook who loved nothing more than gathering people around a table and sharing a meal she had made with her own hands. Family get-togethers were her lifeblood.

She loved nature and the water, loved to travel and see new places, and loved to sing, whether or not anyone asked her to. She had an extraordinary capacity for joy, and she shared it freely. She was affectionate, good-hearted, and fiercely loving toward her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Dara is survived by her two daughters, Stephanie (Ken) Hembree and Ashley Audra; her sisters, Liza (Dan) Congdon, Erin Dunn, Tina Adamse and her brother, James (Kate) Dunn; and five grandchildren:  Austin (17), Savannah (15), Chase (14), Greyson (10), and Theo (10), who were the light of her life, and a wide circle of step-siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends who were lucky enough to be part of her world.  She was preceded in death by her parents and two step-siblings.

May she find peace and rest in the arms of a God who surely appreciates a woman who loved hard, lived loud, and managed to turn every questionable decision into a story people still talk about years later. 

A private family Celebration of Life will be held on April 12, 2026. In lieu of flowers and given Dara’s passion for Bob Ross, nature and creative arts, donations in her memory can be made to Detroit Public Broadcasting Station: https://foundation.pbs.org/donation/ or Michigan’s Happy Little Trees Program (https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/places/state-parks/happy-little-trees) donations are at this link:  https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/ggbiuw?vid=1pkk9s. 

The family asks that those who wish to honor Dara's memory do so by gathering around a table with the people they love, sharing a good meal, and laughing as loud as they can. That is exactly what she would have wanted.