Dawn Cherise Person

Dawn Cherise Person passed away on August 9, 2026. She was born July 14, 1963, in Houston, Texas, to parents Amos Dwain Person and Deana Ray (Stockard) Person. Cherise graduated from Huffman High School in Huffman, Texas, in 1981.

Cherise was an exceptionally intelligent, talented, and accomplished woman whose interests and abilities reached across academics, athletics, music, theology, and business. A member of Mensa, she possessed a remarkable intellect and remained curious and eager to learn throughout her life. She received a B.A. in Business Administration from Southwest Texas State University in 1985, where she was a member of the Theta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity and an accomplished athlete, participating in fencing and acrobatic water skiing during her college years.

Cherise built a successful professional career holding positions of leadership and responsibility throughout her career. Her accomplishments, however, were never solely about her own advancement. She had a genuine interest in helping others recognize and develop their potential. She mentored colleagues and employees, encouraged them to identify their goals, and helped them find practical ways to achieve them.

Cherise was also defined by her faith as a Christian who loved God. After leaving the business world, she pursued her interest in theology, earning a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from the Austin Graduate School of Theology in 2009. Afterwards, she served others as a grief counselor, offering compassion and guidance to people experiencing some of life’s most difficult moments.

Those who knew Cherise personally remember a fiercely loyal friend, a generous spirit, and a woman who often preferred to put others in the spotlight rather than seek it for herself. She loved music, good food, entertaining, and bringing people together. Above all, Cherise loved her family. She was a devoted daughter and sister, and family remained central to her throughout her life. She shared an especially close bond with her father with whom she spoke frequently throughout each day. The words on a plaque displayed in Cherise’s home expressed this sentiment: “Family, always and forever, no matter what.”

Cherise spent much of her life using her intelligence, compassion, generosity, and experience to help the people around her. The influence of a life lived that way cannot be measured simply by degrees earned, positions held, or honors received. It continues in the lives of the people she helped along the way.

Cherise is survived by her father, Dwain Person; brother, Bradly Hunter Person; sister, Alyssa Yvette (Person) Lyle and her husband, Ronald; nephews, Cory Lyle and his wife, Amy, Preston Lyle and his wife, Julianne, and Jordan Lyle; and niece, Alexis (Lyle) Kerns and her husband, Hayden and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins.

A Memorial Service will be held at Hunters Creek Chapel at Earthman Funeral Directors, 8303 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77024, on August 22, 2026, at 11:00 am, and immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in our Event Room.

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