Damon Burton

Photo of Damon Burton obtained from The House of Johnson Funeral Homes, LLC.

Damon Lamar Burton passed away from complications of COVID-19 on March 31, 2020, one day before he was set to retire. A long-time officer at the Detroit Reentry Center, he was the pandemic’s first casualty among Michigan Department of Corrections employees. 

Damon was born on April 18th, 1969 in Detroit, Michigan to Sharon Williams and Thurston Burton. Growing up, he loved sports and played basketball and little league football. In 10th grade, he moved from Detroit to Jackson, Michigan, and those who knew him at the time recall how easily he made friends, even after transferring to an entirely new school system. Outside of school, he worked at a Bob Evans chain and attended the The Church of God under the leadership of Pastor Frank Hampton, Jr. 

In 1987, Damon graduated from Jackson High and went on to take classes in criminal justice at the nearby Jackson Community College. Three years later, Damon was hired by the Michigan Department of Corrections at the age of 21. He served as a loyal officer for 31 years.

Damon, known affectionately as “De De Damon” or “Burton” by many, loved travelling and cooking in his spare time. He was also something of an entertainer, and those who knew him remember with fondness his “quick wit” and infectious sense of humor. 

Among those most important in Damon’s life were his three children: Anthony Burton, Danisha Latreece Burton, and Diaja Monae Edwards. He was also a grandfather, brother, stepbrother, uncle, cousin, and good friend to so many. He is dearly missed. 

This memorial was written by MOL team member Gabriel Colburn with information from reporting by Violet Ikonomova of Deadline Detroit and from an obituary from The House of Johnson Funeral Home.