Dawn Elizabeth Kramer

Dawn Kramer (nee Heil), 80, formerly of Marietta, died on Tuesday after a long illness. She is survived by her children Keri (Sean Carr), Brad (Tara), Jill, and Stephanie, her grandchildren Greta, Lottie, Maida, and Peter, her brother Ken Heil (Vicki), her sister-in-law Sandi Heil, and several nieces and a nephew. She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Douglas, her parents Robert and Shirley Heil, and her brother Robert Heil, Jr. Dawn was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in suburban Parma. She moved to Georgia with Doug in 1978 and was delighted to give up shoveling snow. In the 1990s, she became a preschool teacher at the Marcus JCC Sunshine School, where she made several close friends and enjoyed a taste of early grandmotherhood. She was a devoted mother and an extraordinary grandmother—she loved spoiling her grandchildren, sometimes in the form of two desserts after dinner. Baking was a lifelong passion of hers and she loved whipping up treats for family and friends. Her highest praise was to declare something “D-E-L” (short for delicious). Dawn was artistic and had a hilarious, occasionally bawdy, sense of humor that she kept until the end. A celebration of life will be held at HM Patterson in Marietta on Saturday, April 6, at 2 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to Atlanta Community Food Bank.