Visitation for Dawn Carla Anderson, 56, will be held from 9am to 11am on Saturday December 16, 2017 at the Faith Lutheran Church, 680 W. Deerpath Road, Lake Forest, IL. Her memorial service will begin at 11am. A luncheon will be held starting at 1pm at Conway Farms Golf Club, 425 S. Conway Farms Drive, Lake Forest, IL. Dawn was born on October 7, 1961, in Spokane, Washington, to Jack and Gloria (nee Madsen) Sheneman. She passed away on November 28, 2017 at her home in Lincolnshire, Illinois. As the daughter of an Air Force veteran, Dawn traveled the world during her childhood, living in Germany and Okinawa before moving to Vancouver, Washington, where she graduated from Columbia River High School. Dawn attended Washington State University and received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Dawn served as a finance professional in several healthcare organizations before leaving the workforce to raise her family. On March 24, 1990, Dawn married Christopher Anderson and the two began their lives together living is Seattle, Washington. While living in Seattle, they had two sons, Carl and Kyle. The family moved to Lincolnshire in April 2000, and it was then that her infectious spirit of volunteerism began to flourish. As their boys progressed through the District 103 school system, Dawn followed them, volunteering for any and every school or teacher-based project available. Dawn became a well-recognized and loved parent volunteer, visiting one of the three District 103 schools almost daily. Motivated by her love of children, Dawn volunteered for programs that did not involve her sons and continued volunteering after they left the District. To recognize her loyalty and dedication to the children of District 103, in May 2008, Dawn received the District 103 Volunteer of the Year Award. She was awarded with a first and only of its kind District 103 Lifetime Volunteer Achievement Award in May 2010. And, in November 2017, the District 103 Parent Teacher Organization board voted to create an annual award to honor Dawn's legacy and incomparable spirit by creating a lifetime achievement award in her name: the Dawn Anderson Volunteer Angel Award. Dawn's passion for helping others did not stop with District 103. She supported other organizations in the community with equal levels of energy. But, it was the school children she enjoyed the most. After spending a year in the retail industry, she returned to the District as a library aide at Half Day School in October 2016. While volunteerism filled an important part of Dawn's life, her greatest gift was being a loving mother and wife. She raised two fine young men and it was the love for her boys that got her involved in volunteering at District 103. Dawn will be forever remembered for her wonderful smile, generous heart and her desire to leave things better than she found them. Dawn is survived by her husband, Christopher; her beloved children, Carl and Kyle Anderson, both of Lincolnshire; her father and mother, Jack and Gloria Sheneman of Sun Lakes, Arizona; her brother Mark Sheneman and wife Thea of Longview, Washington; her brother Jon Sheneman and wife Jodi of Bothell, Washington, and five nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a scholarship fund created in Dawn's memory to the District 103 Learning Fund, c/o The Lake County Community Foundation, 114 S. Genesee St., Suite 505, Waukegan, IL 60085 or online at www.lakecountycf.org/2017/10/16/donor-fund-1/, please indicate "Dawn Anderson Scholarship Fund" in the "Gift Note" field.
Published in Daily Herald on Dec. 10, 2017.