Dawn Graham Galloway

Dawn Graham Galloway, a loving wife, mother, friend, educator, and die-hard Auburn Tiger, passed away peacefully on July 5, 2023, at the age of 66. A celebration of life service will be held on Friday, July 14, at 10 am at A&M United Methodist Church in College Station, 417 University Drive. Bright are encouraged and yellow was her favorite color. There will be a lunch after the service in the great hall.

Her time on this earth began as Nancy Dawn Graham in Jackson, Alabama on March 11, 1957, the third of five children of Joe B. Graham, Jr., and Faye Graham (neé McVay). Dawn graduated from Burke High School in Omaha, Nebraska and went to Auburn University where she graduated in 1979 with a degree in Journalism.

Dawn’s path through life was as interesting as she was. She began her newspaper career at a small town paper in Leeds, Alabama. Always on to bigger and better things, she moved to Oklahoma City to join the Daily Oklahoman and be closer to her sister and her niece and nephews. In Oklahoma City she met the love of her life, John Galloway. After relocating to Texas and spending a few years in New Braunfels, Dawn and John settled and built their life in College Station, Texas. She worked as the Director for the Mothers Day Out Daycare at A&M United Methodist Church, where hundreds of children, including her own three, passed through her doors.

Years later, Dawn returned to journalism and was the Editor of The Eagle at the time the Aggie Bonfire fell. She also had careers as a photographer and insurance agent. Eventually, she found her passion in helping those with special needs. She earned a teaching certificate and joined the special education department of College Station ISD as a Life Skills teacher. After earning her master’s degree in counseling, she became an administrator in the district. She made many friends in the education world, which included the legendary group “Book Club” held at Ozona’s where the laughs were always unending. She was also an active volunteer in her children’s church youth group affectionately known as “Mama Galloway” and was a CASA special advocate for the Brazos Valley.

When diagnosed with terminal cancer in December 2015, Dawn decided that she wasn’t done living life. Dawn and John checked off many new places on her remarkable travel bucket list, which included four big themes: she loved music, she loved the beach, she loved mountains, and she loved spending time with family and friends. She witnessed two of her children get married, watched her sons graduate from college and became a grandmother, affectionately known as “Tuts”. The family was able to create many more lasting memories, and she officially went into remission in the spring of 2023, outliving her prognosis by over 5 years.

Dawn will be remembered for her fiery spirit, dynamic personality, ambitious drive, and her desire to bring out the best in those around her. She led by example and provided her children and students a blueprint for living life to the fullest. Everyone knew they could count on her to help, as she had a loving, giving spirit that asked nothing in return. Dawn truly gave everyone around her a sense of belonging.

The family would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and prayers received through her long battle with cancer, most notably the care from her doctor team at MD Anderson, led by Dr. Sunil Patel and Dr. Stephen Chun, as well as her team of local doctors Dr. Richard Smith and Dr. Derick Kuhl.

Dawn is survived by her husband John of Bryan, daughter Valerie Richards and grandson Graham Richards of Houston, son Neal Galloway of Houston, son Patrick Galloway and daughter-in-law Josie Galloway of Rockville, Maryland, sister Penny Cathey of Clearwater, Florida, brother Joseph “Brownie” Graham of Omaha, Nebraska, brother Stan Graham of Forrest Hill, Maryland, and a host of extended family and wonderful friends. She is preceded in death by her parents and her brother Robin “Gann” Graham. The family would like memorial donations to be sent to Special Olympics or to the Make A Wish Foundation