Dawn Jean Spitale

Dawn Jean Crandall Spitale, beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin and friend, passed away on October 8th after an inspiring and brave battle with pancreatic cancer. She is survived by her husband Tom, children Sarah, Thomas and daughter-in-law Claire, and Gianni, brothers Keith, Michael and Danny, loyal dog Lola, and many, many heartbroken family and friends.

Like a brilliant artist whose magnificent works were relationships, Dawn saw the uniqueness in everyone she met. Her soulful eyes, magnetic personality and genuine interest made people feel immediately comfortable and more open with her than perhaps they had ever been. Everyone felt like they were Dawn’s best friend – and somehow, some way, they were.

She loved life with such a passion that it must have been hard to let go. High on the list were sunsets, international travel, garage sales, cooking, food and wine. She was happiest searching for seashells on a beach in a wet swimsuit caked with sand.

She was a tremendous and creative cook who had the talent to be a famous chef but who was content to dazzle family and friends with her culinary talents. Her husband swears that she only made one bad meal in their 34 years of marriage.

Her children will always cherish her non-traditional parenting ways. Board games, scheduled “fun days” away from school and month long birthday celebrations were all part of growing up with Dawn as your mom. Her home was always a welcoming place for family and friends and children’s friends — an atmosphere that you physically felt upon walking in the door.

Like almost everyone else she ever met, her husband knew immediately that she would be in his heart forever. Their marriage and relationship were something that many admired, and their devotion to each other was complete and total. Her passing leaves a huge hole, but she will live on through the hundreds of “Dawn stories” and “Dawn moments” that are remembered and cherished by us all.

Services and a celebration of Dawn’s life will be held at Espiritu Santo Catholic Church in Safety Harbor, FL on Thursday, October 14th at 4:00 PM. There will be a reception immediately afterwards, until 8:00pm, at Sips Wine Bar, 326 Main St., Safety Harbor 34695.

Here are the directions to the Parking Lot, located directly behind Sips Wine Bar:

from the church take Philippe Parkway to Main St., take a right on Main St. (Safety Harbor), head North onto 3rd Ave., parking lot entrance on 3rd Ave. (across the street from Southern Fresh Restaurant).

In lieu of flowers, donations in Dawn’s name can be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network – also known as PanCan at www.pancan.org. Early detection diagnostics are critically needed for this insidious and fast-moving form of cancer — Dawn was already in Stage 4 when she was diagnosed

.