Obituary of Dawn Lorenzo

Services for Dawn Lorenzo will be held on December 30^th, 2023, at 11:00am at Penfield Presbyterian Church, 1881 Jackson Road, Penfield. Please join us as we celebrate Dawn’s life and help her live on through our collective memories.

Dawn Lorenzo, beloved mother, grandmother, and friend. After 84 years, Dawn joined heaven’s choir on Christmas Eve, 2023 surrounded by family and the loving staff at Fairport Baptist Home. Dawn is survived by her ex-husband, Joseph Lorenzo and wife, Kathleen, daughter, Sharon Krueger and her children, Joelle and Collin, son, Michael Lorenzo and his fiancé, Mary Eldredge, younger sister, Polly Hazelwood, and many extended family members and friends. Dawn was predeceased by her twin sister, Delight Teachout, whom she missed to the last.

Dawn's life was never easy, yet she always persevered with a smile. She grew up in Syracuse and was spirited away with her sisters by her “Auntie” Gladys to California when they were young. On returning to New York, she and her sisters were moved to a children’s home where Dawn fought to protect her sisters. In high school, she joined every club she could and even played the trombone!  She connected with the Presbyterian Church, singing in the choir, and spreading joy to all. She worked – both in the world and as a mom. Her first job was as a switch board operator. During the cold war, she became a civil servant working as a secretary for General Dynamics in Germany, Turkey, and Rochester. After raising two children, she returned to work as a receptionist for Spectracom, Penfield School District, Penfield Town Hall, and Brighton Town Hall.

Throughout her life, she was always involved – neighborhood groups, schools, church, garden club, and more. If ever someone needed help, she would be there with a cup of coffee, a meal, a laugh, and a shoulder to lean on. Friendship was something that Dawn did well. She had friends everywhere she went, even if she just met you. And she maintained those friendships to her dying day – friends from the children’s home in the 1940’s, her high school in the 1950’s, her work at General Dynamics in the 1960’s, friends from the neighborhood in the 1970’s, friends from the church, school, and her new neighborhoods through today! Once Dawn claimed you as her own, you were hers for life and you would have her as your staunchest supporter.  

Dawn loved people, food, and travel. Every summer she would vacation in Cape Cod, where her joy was relaxing on the beach, enjoying sea food, and of course Chatham band night! She saw Europe and the Middle East while she worked for General.  In recent years she was able to take a train across Canada, a cruise around the Black Sea, visit Mackinaw Island, and see more of the Eastern Seaboard. She loved seeing new places, meeting new people, dinning out, and buying presents!  

Dawn's love for family always shined through with cooking Sunday family dinners every week, passing the torch to her daughter when it became too much. She enjoyed spending time over a meal with those she loved. After losing mobility, dinners weren’t quite as often as she moved in and out of several senior living facilities. Although the moves were difficult, she always found a way to smile. Even through all her various serious health issues, she kept her positivity and was always ready to laugh. Her sense of humor, spirit, and resilience stayed with her through to the end and inspired those who knew her.  

Dawn will be missed, always reminding us to stay strong through tough times and stay close to all those who we love. So raise a cup of coffee, grab a donut, and remember our beloved Dawn.