D'Arla Nowlin

D’Arla Nowlin, age 71, of De Leon, Texas, passed away on September 20, 2025, after a life filled with love, creativity, and devotion to her family and community.

Born on October 8, 1953, in De Leon to Joseph and Frances Scott, D’Arla grew up with a spirit that was equal parts intelligence, creativity, and stubborn determination — a combination that made her a force to be reckoned with, and a blessing to her loved ones.

From a young age, she had a passion for dance. An esteemed tap dancer, she would travel from her family’s farm outside of De Leon to Dallas to study with tap companies at a time when such trips were rare. D’Arla carried her love of dance into the community, teaching tap, ballet, and jazz to children in De Leon and Comanche. Known for her meticulous attention to detail, she was a stickler for perfect recitals, and she never lost her admiration for Gene Kelly, though Fred Astaire was a close second. We know she is now dancing again and is likely performing “Puttin’ on the Ritz” as her late husband, Donnie Nowlin, cheers her on.

D’Arla was also the original DIYer before “DIY” had a name. Sewing, crafting, and creating were her gifts — she was a true artist. Many of the banners that hang in the First United Methodist Church were her creations. She even renovated much of her own house, and no matter where her daughter Emily was living across the country, D’Arla always made it into a home. At last count, she decorated eleven of Emily’s homes. She sewed costumes for dance recitals, school plays, and made many of her own clothes. If something needed to be made, she learned how and executed to perfection.

Her devotion to her community and her church was steadfast. A lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church of De Leon, she was present every Sunday until her health would no longer allow. She was a fixture at Vacation Bible School, as well as countless potluck dinners and community events. She taught her children to live by the Golden Rule, oftentimes reminding them that it feels better to love than to hate. She encouraged her children to put themselves in someone else’s shoes before jumping to judgment, and she reminded them that you never truly know what someone else is going through.

Her compassion extended beyond people to animals. Sick or injured creatures somehow always found their way to her — from orphaned baby squirrels to a puppy with parvo. She would stay up around the clock nursing them back to health, never giving up on them.

D’Arla was fiercely devoted to her family. She cared for her husband, Donnie, through his 14-year battle with MS until his passing in November 2020. She never ceased in her efforts to help him live each day to the fullest. She was a constant source of strength for her children — Nigel, Emily, and Trevor —especially in their hardest moments. Even as her own health declined, she was determined to continue helping her family in whatever way she could.

She was quick-witted, with a sharp sense of humor and sarcasm that never needed curse words to land. With a perfectly timed zinger, she could cut through any nonsense and leave you laughing — or put you squarely in your place.

Her sense of humor also had a delightfully mischievous side. She delighted in playing harmless tricks on her family, whether it was pouring water down Trevor’s snorkel as he swam, coaxing Nigel into testing the dog’s shock collar “just to see if it worked,” or joining him in a hot sauce challenge that ended with both of them laughing and crying at the same time. She played Skip-Bo with Ashlynn for hours, often sneaking in a cheat or two before eventually confessing with a sly grin. With her youngest granddaughter, Raeli, she shared gentler adventures, which included ringing the church bell together, tending the garden, and feeding the chickens at Nigel’s.

She is preceded in death by her father Joseph “Rip” Scott, mother Frances Scott, sister Donice Smith, and her husband, Donnie Nowlin. She is survived by her children, Nigel Nowlin of De Leon, Emily Nowlin of Las Vegas, and Trevor Nowlin of Weatherford; her beloved granddaughters, Ashlynn Nowlin of Stephenville and Raeli Nowlin of De Leon; and a host of extended family, friends, and community members who will remember her kindness, strength, wit, laughter, and bright smile.

Services will be held on Tuesday, September 23rd at 1:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in De Leon, Texas followed by a burial at the De Leon Cemetery.

Her legacy lives on in every banner stitched, every dance taught, every animal saved, every joke played, and every home she made warm. She leaves behind a family and community better for having been loved by her.