Christy Dawn Stallings

Christy Dawn (Madaris) Stallings, 54, of Newton, North Carolina, passed away on Sunday, November 1, 2026 at Catawba Valley Medical Center.

To know Christy was to love her. She was a woman whose infectious smile could brighten even the darkest days and whose laughter would fill an entire room. She had a warmth about her that made those around her feel loved, and a spirit that refused to be broken. Above all, Christy loved God, her family, and her two boys with every fiber of her being.

If there was one thing Christy knew how to do, it was fight. She was the very definition of perseverance. Life was not always gentle with her, yet time and time again, she found the strength to get back up. Her strength was not measured by the absence of struggle, but by her determination to keep going in spite of it. She was resilient, courageous, and steadfast in her faith.

Her boys, Clay and Cody, were her pride and joy. She loved them fiercely, unconditionally, and without hesitation. She was the kind of mother who showed up, not because she had to, but because there was nowhere else she would rather be. She never missed Clay’s baseball games, never missed an awards day at school, and never let an opportunity pass to celebrate her children’s accomplishments. Her boys never had to question how much they meant to her.

Her son, Cody, describes her as a phenomenal mother and a remarkable woman. In his eyes, no child could have asked for a better mother, a greater role model, or a more loving person to guide him through life. She taught him more than she could have realized - not just through words, but through the way she lived, the battles she fought, and the love she so freely gave.

Cody’s most treasured memories of his mother are the quiet, ordinary moments. He remembers watching the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with her every Christmas, when he was still so small enough to curl up beside her on the same seat cushion. The bond between mother and son remained incredibly special even into adulthood. For Cody, the absence of phone calls to his mother will be one of the hardest parts of learning to live without her.

Christy is preceded in death by her son, Derek Clayton “Clay” Stallings, and her father, Gary Madaris.

Those left to cherish her memory include her son, Cody Stallings of Raleigh, NC; her mother, Karen Madaris of Newton, NC; her sisters, Jamie Sartin and husband Anthony Sartin, and Shannon Whitener; and niece Ashlyn Sartin who was like the daughter she never had; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held of Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 1:00pm, followed by a funeral service at 2:00pm, with arrangements entrusted to Jenkins Funeral Home in Newton, North Carolina.

Christy will be remembered as a devoted daughter, a loving sister, a woman of faith, and, above all, an extraordinary mother. She was a fighter until the very end, but her greatest legacy was how deeply she loved.

And for her son, there will never be enough words to express what a privilege it was to call her mom.

She can walk again, run again, and dance again. But above all, she is in the arms of Jesus and back with her son, Clay.

Please sign the online guestbook on the Memorial Wall at www.jenkinsfuneralhome.net. The Stallings family has entrusted arrangements to Jenkins Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Newton 828-464-1555.