Lavoris Rena' Dameron

Lavoris Rena’ (Melvin) Dameron was born March 3, 1962 in Columbia, SC to the late Louise Belton Melvin and the late James E. Melvin. She died on September 6, 2025, in Blythewood, SC. She was 63 years old.

Known to her family and friends as Rena’, she was a cheerleader for both Spring Valley High School and later Richland Northeast High School, where she graduated. She married her husband, Thomas W. Dameron, Jr. on August 11, 1979, and together they had two daughters. 

In 1997, Rena’ established Tressa’s Learning Funhouse first as an in-home Christian-based daycare on Decker Boulevard for over 10 years, before moving the daycare into their home, where she taught until her stroke in 2016.

She leaves to cherish her memories, her children, Tressa Torea’ Louise Dameron and DéLana Rachel Ann Dameron-John; , son-in-law, Curtis John; younger brother, James Lamont Melvin; sister-in-law, Jenneise B. Carr of Savannah, GA; nieces, Nadia and Taylor; nephews, Quincy, Sean, DaShawn, Tyler and Nushawn; goddaughters, Lauren, Sharon, and Tiffany, and countless cousins, friends, and former parents of the children she kept in her care, as well as members of her congregation with the late Bishop Shell of True Light in Christ Jesus Worship Center.

Rena’ loved lifting up the goodness of Christ through all of her work and life, and her nurturing spirit for folks of all ages will continue to impact Columbia for generations to come.

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