Dawn Slayden Monson, 69 years old, a resident of The Villages community and parishioner of St. Timothy Catholic Church, went home to her heavenly Father, at the local Villages hospital, after a lifelong battle with Crohn’s disease.
Dawn Marie (Slayden) Monson was born in Detroit, MI on May 19, 1954 to Kenneth & Joan Slayden of Fraser, MI and was baptized at Saint Luke Roman Catholic Church in Detroit, MI. Dawn graduated from Fraser High School, 1972 and attended Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI graduating with honors in 1977, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree with teaching credentials.
On June 3, 1978, Dawn married Michael D. Monson, son of the late Donald H. Monson and Eunice E. (Lehman) Monson of Kenosha, WI.
Dawn poured her love of children into teaching. She taught 3rd grade and special education for 39 years, with a specialty in speech development and 38 of those years were spent teaching at the same school Botsford Elementary, in the Clarenceville school district, located in Livonia, MI. Later during Dawn’s teaching years, she earned a Master’s Degree in the art of teaching with honors from Marygrove College of Detroit, MI in 2002.
Dawn and Michael were strong advocates for the Foster Child program and adoption, while providing a stable home environment for children in immediate need.
Dawn partnered with the National Committee on Accreditation, (NCA) to properly assess the common core state standards of instruction in the classroom to establish a benchmark standard for accreditation. A Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives was Presented to: “Dawn Monson, Clarenceville Public Schools 2012 Elementary School Teacher of the Year Livonia Chamber of Commerce, in recognition of outstanding and invaluable service to the community”, January 19, 2012 and signed by Thaddeus G. McCotter, member of Congress. Dawn was honored for teaching 33 years at the same school and she would continue to teach for another five years before retiring in 2017.
Dawn was loving and caring toward others and a wonderful, teacher, sister and wife. Dawn always made sure everyone was safe and taken care of. She is very loved and missed by friends and family. God bless her soul and may she rest in peace with the Lord Jesus, reuniting with loved ones in heaven.
Her survivors include her brother, Kevin K. Slayden, Niece: Afton C. Brown, Nephew-in-Law: John D. Brown, Great Nephews; Jonathan C. Dickson, Kristian G. Dickson, and Great-Niece: Gabriella L. Brown. Dawn is predeceased by her husband Michael D. Monson.
