Diana McWaters Barron

Mrs. Diana McWaters Barron of Enterprise, Alabama, passed away Thursday, October 1, 2026, at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. She was 83 years old.

A Memorial Service honoring her life will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 2:00 PM at First Baptist Church of Enterprise with Dr. Ben Bowden officiating. The family will receive friends on Wednesday at the church beginning at 1:00 PM until service time. Interment will be held at a later date at Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo, Alabama.

Diana was born May 28, 1943, in Enterprise to the late Marlyn and Carolyn McWaters. Being a military kid, Diana’s family was stationed in many different places during her childhood years, but she always loved spending time in Enterprise with her grandmother. As a young woman she met and married the love of her life, Merrill, and together they built a marriage that lasted over 56 years.

Diana’s life was marked by serving others, whether through her church or volunteering with organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Dothan Rescue Mission, and the First Baptist Church of Dothan clothes closet. She was very passionate about serving with Operation Christmas Child. Diana volunteered with OCC in many capacities, including working at the processing center in Atlanta, packing many, many shoe boxes to be distributed over the world to children, and hosting her own packing parties to reach as many children as she could.

Diana was drawn to those in need, and she always found someone she could serve and show the love of Christ. She taught by example, and her life of humility, love, and service to others is a lasting legacy her family will forever cherish.

She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Dr. Merrill Barron; two sons, Jeremy Barron (Laurie) of Eufaula, and Eric Barron (Emily) of Dothan; two sisters, Christine Schumacher (Steve) of Jacksonville, Florida, and Rosemerry Strickland (Rodney) of Woodstock, Georgia; brother, David McWaters (Dianne) of Enterprise; five grandchildren, Rebekah Barron, David Barron, Luke Barron, Sarah Patterson (Dylan), and Mark Hawthorne; and four great-grandchildren, Eden, Elliott, Emma, and Esther Patterson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in her honor be made to the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child ministry of First Baptist Church of Enterprise, 302 North Main Street, Enterprise, AL 36330, a ministry that was very dear to Diana.