Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

November 19, 2025

ATLANTA - Dana Lawing Ferrero, 46, passed peacefully on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at the Emory Transplant Center in Atlanta, Georgia, after a courageous battle with systemic scleroderma while awaiting a double-lung transplant. Dana fought with a grace and compassion that inspired everyone who walked beside her. When she left this earth, she was carried into heaven by angels and lovingly reunited with her beloved father and her beloved Mamaw—two people she had missed with all her heart.

Dana was born on August 20, 1979, in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Carol Lawing and the late Daniel Lawing. From the very beginning, Dana brought light wherever she went. Her childhood was filled with tennis courts, laughter, and a fierce competitive spirit wrapped in kindness. She picked up her first tennis racquet at age five and never put it down—quickly becoming a junior champion and winning tournaments throughout the South. At Charlotte Latin School, she proudly held the Number 1 seed on the girls' tennis team, earned all-conference honors, served on the homecoming court for four straight years, and made her debut with the Charlotte Guild Debutante Club.

Dana’s love for the French language and culture led her to spend the summer of 1998 studying at the University of Paris—The Sorbonne—a dream she cherished for the rest of her life. She later graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in International Business and French. A loyal Kappa Kappa Gamma sister and enthusiastic Bulldog fan, Dana embraced every moment of her college years. Her love for learning continued, and she later earned a master’s degree in education from Mercer University–Atlanta, where she graduated with honors.

Teaching became one of Dana’s greatest callings. As a second-grade teacher at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, she poured her creativity, warmth, and love for children into every lesson and every little life she touched. Her school family described her as someone who “brought creativity, warmth, and a deep love for children to her classroom and to her colleagues.” Her kindness was her signature, and her gentle presence made the world feel softer.

The greatest joy of Dana’s life was being a mother. She adored her children, Louis Finley “Finn,” 17, and Elizabeth Banks “Banks” Ferrero, 15, who were the center of her universe. She supported them in every dream, every game, every milestone—always cheering, always encouraging, always reminding them, “I love you to the moon and back.” Her love for them was boundless and unwavering.

Dana is survived by Finn and Banks, their father Justin Ferrero, and her mother, Carol Lawing. She also leaves behind several cousins and countless friends who treasured her. To all who knew her, Dana was the sweetest soul—humble, gentle, fun-loving, and full of life. She was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside, and her spirit left an imprint on every heart she touched.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on December 4, 2025, at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, 3180 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. A reception will follow at Cherokee Town and Country Club, 155 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, 805 Mt. Vernon Highway NW, Atlanta, GA 30327.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.