Obituary of Dawn Kay Brown

Dawn Kay Brown

December 12, 1956 – November 17, 2023

Obituary of Dawn Kay (McGonigal) Brown

Dawn (McGonigal) Brown, 66, of St. Petersburg, Florida passed away on November 17, 2023, at HCA Florida Northside Hospital attended by two of her sisters, Maureen and Mary, and her daughter, Stephanie. Around 5:13 p.m. that evening, Stephanie gave her mom a kiss on her forehead saying, “I love you mama, I will always be your baby,” and Dawn took her last breath. The four of them held hands, prayed, and said their goodbyes. Well, not goodbyes, more like “See you later”. She is finally free to go home with Jesus where we are all sure she is living it up in heaven watching over all of us.

Dawn is survived by her daughter, Stephanie Brown, her father, Lynwood (Rose) McGonigal, her sisters, Mary (Roy) Hill, Tammie (Tom) Boulton, Michelle (Jeff) Maguire, Maureen (Sam) Bachelor and a myriad of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews, all who will dearly miss her. Dawn will also be greatly missed by many friends, most notably her best friend, Wanda Le, who has been claimed as one of the ‘sisters’.

Born on December 12, 1956, in Lansing, Michigan, Dawn was an independent, compassionate, and kindhearted woman who deeply loved her family. A small-town country girl at heart, she was raised in Bath, Michigan, in a Christian home by Lynwood and Charlotte McGonigal with four sisters: Mary, Tammie, Michelle, and Maureen. Together, they enjoyed family vacations/camping, church activities, and Sunday dinners at grandma’s house with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. Dawn’s strong connection with her sisters is immeasurable.

Early in Dawn’s adult life, she moved across the country to Texas with her place of business. She was a dental lab technician and well respected as such. She then found her permanent home in Florida. Throughout her adult life she took joy in the ocean and loved boating with friends and family. She was a dedicated wife, mother, and friend. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for the people that she loved. She could connect with anyone from any background and was very down to Earth. Dawn had a heart of gold and a smile to match.

Dawn was very artistic and made beautiful cakes for her family and friends for every holiday imaginable. Most memorable to her nieces and nephews are the character cakes she made for their birthdays. She also made beautiful ceramic holiday decorations that her family members treasure to the 3 rd generation, and beyond.

In 2017 Dawn’s very full life took a hard blow. She had a catastrophic stroke that paralyzed her left side and rendered her unable to care for herself. Since that time, she has lived in nursing care facilities where she has continued to use her beautiful smile to brighten the days for others. These years of her life weren’t easy and at times her attitude waned, but she was always ready for fun conversations either on the phone or with visiting family and friends.

Funeral services will be held at Anderson McQueen Funeral Home, 2201 Dr MLK Jr St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33704, on December 2, 2023. There will be a public viewing time from 1pm to 2pm with the service to begin at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Dawn’s honor to the American Lung Association: https://action.lung.org