Dawn Spahr

Dawn Cecelia Spahr, 64, of Parrish, Florida and previously Northern Virginia, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 25th. With courage and grace, Dawn endured a battle against Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative disease that took her too soon.

Born to Robert E. Smoak and Patricia Carr on November 5, 1958, Dawn was a native Washingtonian in every right. As a child, her father and grandmother, “Mimi,” routinely loaded up the Cadillac to take Dawn and her friends to the National Mall or Eastern Shore. These experiences instilled the love of the day trip in Dawn. She carried on this same tradition with her own daughters, waking them up early on Saturday mornings to see the cascades of Great Falls or to head towards the bay for a taste of Maryland Blue Crabs.

Upon starting a job in coding at Washington Medical Center, she met her first husband Dr. Matthew Cazan and together they raised their children in Falls Church. As a resident of the “Little City,” she could be found browsing produce at the farmer’s market or volunteering at the St. James School Bazaar. For the annual Memorial Day Parade, Dawn welcomed summer with an open-house BBQ, complete with a hallmark dessert - red, white and blue tea-cookies.

Dawn continued in medical records with a decades-long career at INOVA Fairfax Hospital, where she remains widely respected and beloved by fellow colleagues. It was there that she met her best friend and husband, Jordan Spahr. Dawn was instantly drawn to Jordan’s shared love of music. You could often find them dancing along to the tunes of their favorite bands at live shows across the region. Each year they vacationed on the gulf coast of Florida, enjoying grouper sandwiches at Clearwater Beach and scouting the pelicans at St. Pete Pier. These trips inspired them to retire to the Suncoast in 2021.

Dawn’s family and friends were undoubtedly the greatest joys of her life. She was a compassionate wife and mother, always putting the needs of those around her before her own. Dawn was fiercely loyal to the ones she loved. She remained close with her childhood companions, St. James families and the Lost River Crew even until her final days. She took great pride in showing her young grandchildren all of her favorite places before the disease took hold, gifting yet another generation the thrill of even the simplest adventures.

She is survived by her husband of 17 years, Jordan, her step-mother, Vicenta McKenney, two daughters Perri Cazan and Dana Higginbotham, and three beautiful grandchildren. Dawn will be laid to rest in a private service in Clearwater, Florida. A celebration of life will be planned in the coming months. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to either CurePSP or the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

The family would also like to thank the staff at Poet’s Walk - Sarasota and Tidewell Hospice for their kind and attentive care.

A graveside service for Dawn will be held Monday, May 29, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 2853 SUNSET POINT RD, CLEARWATER, FL 33759.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sylvanabbey.com for the Spahr family.