Harold "Dayne" Herndon III

Harold “Dayne” Herndon, III passed away on Wednesday, January 23 at the age of 25. Dayne was born August 6, 1993 in Arlington, Texas and grew up in Southlake, Texas. He discovered a passion for guitar and sketch art at a very young age, progressing quickly to levels well beyond his years. He began writing music and developed an exceptional talent for improvisational jazz guitar. He played for the Southlake Carroll Jazz Band during his four years of high school, graduating in 2012 with honors. He then attended Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied music production on scholarship.

Dayne loved music and had an insatiable love of the outdoors. He spent much of his free time hiking, exploring and connecting with nature. He left Berklee and moved to the solitude of the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts in 2015. There he wrote, played, and produced countless CDs of his original musical works.

In the fall of 2017, Dayne returned to the DFW area where he lived with family before moving to South Lake Tahoe in the summer of 2018. There, he lived the remainder of his young life immersed in the things that gave him energy and joy: nature, music, farming, cooking, writing and educating others on healthy, self-sustainable living and protecting this earth.

Dayne was a beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend. He was a musician, poet, and artist by trade, but he was, first and foremost, a compassionate caretaker of the Earth who saw goodness in everyone and everything. He worked passionately to make the world a better place and took joy in teaching others to do the same. His overwhelming kindness and loving spirit will forever define him.

“For who can say who may need a little sunshine today?” - an excerpt from one of Dayne’s many poems.

Dayne leaves behind a loving sister, Hannah (husband Rolla) Bradley, mother Sandra Smith (husband Chip) McSpadden and father Harold “Hap” Dayne (wife Stacey) Herndon, Jr. all residing in the DFW area and step sisters Chelsea Stier (Pasadena) and Tonya (husband Dusty) Wilemon (Waxahachie, TX) and step brothers Joshua Stier (Indianapolis) and Heston (wife Shannon) McSpadden (Corpus Christi, TX), grandparents Ouida and Thomas Schliesing (Uvalde, TX) and Betty Hollowell (Richmond, WA) as well as many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.

A service celebrating Dayne’s life will be held at 1:30 pm, Monday, February 11, 2019 at White’s Chapel United Methodist Church, 185 South White Chapel Boulevard in Southlake, Texas. For further details, please contact J.E. Foust & Son Funeral Home (www.legacy.com/dignity-memorial) or 817-481-2525. Dayne will be laid to rest in Texas during a private family ceremony.

The family welcomes plants and floral memorials but for those wishing to send a memorial contribution, the following charities are suggested:

The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation

2830 S. Hulen Street, #139

Fort Worth, TX 76109

This foundation aids in suicide prevention and depression research.

USDA Forest Service

Attn: Forest Management 3SW

The Plant-A-Tree Program

Stop 1103

1400 Independence Avenue SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-1103

This U.S. Forest Service program will aid in the rehabilitation of wildfire habitat and timber improvement.

The family offers their most sincere thanks to the extended family, friends and others throughout the world that have been a bright light in Dayne’s life over his 25 years on this earth and provided endless support, prayers and love.