Kathleen Dawson's Obituary
Kathleen McElroy Dawson, 77, of Lorain, Ohio, formerly of Amherst, Ohio and Wyandotte, Michigan, passed away December 10, 2023, surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren. Kathy was born on February 16, 1946 in Wappingers Falls, New York. Her parents, John R. McElroy and Anne McDonough McElroy were in the Marine Corps and moved to Wyandotte, Michigan. The oldest of nine children in this strong, Irish Catholic family, Kathy attended St. Patrick’s school where she enjoyed many school activities, including cheerleading, yearbook staff, and student government. She graduated in 1964 and worked at Wyandotte Savings Bank. In 1965, she met the love of her life, Rick Dawson, who she married in 1966. Kathy was the cherished mother of son, Rick, and daughter, Beth. Things changed dramatically for the young Dawson family in 1968 when Rick Sr. accepted a job in Elyria, Ohio. At that time, Kathy coordinated the building of their new home in Amherst, arranged the move from Michigan to Ohio, tended to two young children, and supported her husband’s career.
Kathy’s core values included family, faith, and community. She was heavily involved in her kids’ school activities and spent a significant amount of her free time volunteering in the community, especially the faith community. Kathy and her beloved attended a Marriage Encounter weekend in 1978. They learned and shared new ways of communicating with each other and strengthening an already deep faith in God and Church. Kathy later accepted the role of coordinating future Marriage Encounter weekends for all of Lorain County, witnessing to the powerful experience with interested couples, scheduling future weekends, and coordinating with team leaders and priests. Strongly believing in the gift of the sacrament of marriage, the Dawsons joined a group sponsoring and presenting a weekend for engaged couples- the Pre-Cana program. Enjoying tremendous success with this program, Kathy and Rick received permission and funding to start this program at their parish, St. Peter’s in Lorain.
Staying heavily involved in school and parish work, Kathy was hired by St. Peter’s as parish secretary. She gladly took on additional volunteer activities at the parish where she selflessly shared her time, talent, and treasure. Kathy later took on a similar position at St. Mary’s, Elyria, Ohio and stayed there until she retired to become full-time mother, grandmother, and wife.
Family was Kathy’s greatest joy and her most cherished titles were wife, mother, Nana, sister, aunt, and cousin. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Richard, her son, Richard Jr., daughter Elizabeth, grandson, Nicholas (Samantha), and granddaughters Alexandria, Lauren, and Maya. She also leaves behind her siblings Suzanne Pighin, Colleen Slaughter (Philip), Michael McElroy (Linda), Anne Marie Jurack, Kevin McElroy (Teri), and Erin Taft (Jon), sisters-in-law Melisa Dyer (Ray), and Sherry Dawson. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers John M. McElroy and Sean J. McElroy, and brothers-in-law John Jurack, Alan Pighin, and Ron Dawson. Aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins round out this incredible family.
Family will receive friends on Friday, December 15th from 3:00 -7:00 p.m. at the Dovin and Reber Jones Funeral & Cremation Center, 1110 Cooper Foster Park Road, Amherst. Mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, December 16th at 9:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s, 3655 Oberlin Ave., Lorain, Ohio. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.dovinreberjones.com.
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