Memorial stone honoring beloved Chick-fil-A employee stolen from Dallas restaurant

A memorial outside the Chick-fil-A where Jamir Ballentine worked became a place for his mother and former coworkers to remember him.

At a Chick-fil-A near Love Field, Keisha Ballentine is a regular, but she does not come for the food. She comes to talk to her son, Jamir.

“I come and stand with him and talk with him,” Ballentine said.

Jamir Ballentine worked for Chick-fil-A and was working his way toward leadership when he passed away about seven years ago at 21 years old. His mother remembers him as her best friend and her shadow. Photos and videos kept by his family show Jamir dancing, smiling and spending time with the people closest to him.

“He was always just dancing, smiling, having a good time,” restaurant operator Louie Murillo said. “He was a star employee, for sure.”

Murillo believed Jamir had a bright future with the company.

“He would've been a great leader,” Murillo said.

After Jamir passed away, his Chick-fil-A family found a way to keep a piece of him at the restaurant. They planted a cherry blossom tree and placed a memorial stone bearing his name beside it.

The memorial became a place for Jamir’s family to return to and feel close to him.

“It was just a symbol to let us know that he was loved,” Ballentine said. “He wasn’t just loved by our family. He was cherished by so many.”

For years, the stone remained in its spot outside the restaurant. But about a week ago, it disappeared. Someone had taken it from the memorial, leaving behind an empty space where Jamir’s name once sat.

“I mean, I was devastated,” Murillo said. “I couldn't figure out why on earth would somebody want to do that?”

Murillo said the loss has been felt not only by Jamir’s relatives, but also by the restaurant employees who still consider him part of their Chick-fil-A family.

“It means so much to the family. And it means so much to our team that when it was gone, it's like part of us was taken,” Murillo said.

Now, Jamir’s family and the people who knew him at Chick-fil-A are hoping someone knows where the stone went and can help bring it home.

“If you have the rock or if you know who has it, please return it,” Murillo said. “We just want to have it back.”

For Ballentine, getting the stone back would restore a piece of the place she has returned to for years to remember her son.

“His memory is here,” she said. “His love is here.”