Dawn Gillian Kendall

Dawn Gillian Kendall (Gillian Dawn Kendall), 81, passed away peacefully on December 11, 2024 in Littleton, Colorado. She was born on March 2, 1943 to Maurice and Sheila Kendall (nee Ward) in Madras, India. 

She grew up in Madras, India and Bangalore, India with her parents and three older brothers. She was predeceased by her brother, Eric Christopher Kendall, and her daughter, Christina Hetrick. She is survived by her daughter Andrea Michels (Andy Kamath) and her grandchildren Aditya Kamath (step-grandson) and Ajay Kamath.

As a girl and young woman Dawn was recognized for having scholarly gifts. Her dedication to her studies provided her with the opportunity to immigrate to the United States at the age of 20. Alone, she came to this country intending to pursue her master's degree in Biochemistry. She graduated from Washington State University located in Pullman, Washington. She met her husband Richard Edward Michels during graduate school and they were married in 1965. After graduation and her wedding, she was the first professional female with a graduate degree to work for Boeing Aerospace in Seattle, where she oversaw the chemical coating process for airplane wings. 

Dawn and her husband relocated to Denver, Colorado where she was employed by the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in medical research. After her two daughters were born, Dawn and her husband started their own company focusing on real estate investments and management. She began what would become her life's work of providing affordable rental housing in the city of Denver. Dawn believed in helping people through their hard times by giving a hand up rather than a handout. She hired people in her business who had physical or mental disabilities, providing them with a means to have dignity through honest work.

Later in life Dawn was the Laboratory Coordinator at Arapahoe Community College where she was responsible for overseeing the operations of the laboratories for biology, chemistry, microbiology, and physics. She continued working for the state of Colorado when she transferred to the Public Utilities Commission, from which she eventually retired. Her abundance of energy, intelligence, persistence, and hard work enabled her to continue to actively manage her real estate investments while maintaining a day job.

Dawn was a loving mother who instilled the importance of education and Catholic values in her two daughters. When they were young children, she volunteered at their school and coordinated their extracurricular activities. She sewed beautiful dresses and outfits for her daughters. After they graduated from college, Dawn helped them to establish themselves in new cities. She set an example for her daughters of making smart life choices, commitment to her faith, and pursuit of justice.

In her free time, she took cooking and cake decorating classes so she could offer her guests delicious meals made with skill and love. Dawn had a keen eye in creating fresh flower arrangements, often cutting flowers from her beautiful garden that she nurtured for decades. 

Dawn traveled the world extensively, becoming an astute observer of what was occurring in the world. She had a remarkable memory for historical facts and current events. Her wonderful sense of humor drew people to her and helped her foster decades-long friendships. After she and her husband divorced, she never remarried. Her Catholic faith was a bedrock for her throughout her life. She made many friends through her active involvement with Catholic organizations, including the Serra Club. 

Her legacy is one of accomplishment, endurance and grace. Dawn overcame innumerable challenges, heartbreaks, and setbacks to ultimately become an American immigrant success story. 

We invite you to celebrate her life. The visitation and rosary will be held on January 9, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. at Horan and McConaty, 3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood. Short eulogies of less than five minutes are welcome during the visitation.

Funeral Mass will be January 10, 2025, 10:00 a.m. at the Notre Dame Catholic Church, 2190 S. Sheridan Blvd., Denver, CO, which will be followed by a reception. Burial will take place at 1:00 p.m. at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

Donations may be made in Dawn's honor to Catholic Charities of Denver, Parkinson's Association of the Rockies, or Notre Dame Elementary School in Denver, CO.