Dawn Pearson Norton

Dawn Pearson Norton (aka Kiki and Grammie), peacefully passed away surrounded by her family on Saturday July 8th 2023.  Dawn was born on November 23, 1951 to Lloyd Clifton Pearson and Margaret Bridgers (Martin) Pearson in Roanoke Rapids, NC. After moving to Wilmington, NC she attended and graduated from New Hanover High School. While attending the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she met the love of her life Terry to whom she would marry in June of 1972. After graduating from UNCW with her bachelor’s degree in 1974 she began her teaching career as a biology teacher at North Brunswick High School in Leland, NC. After 30 years of teaching Dawn retired from NBHS just to return for an additional 6 months to fill in for a teacher who was on maternity leave. Dawn was passionate about teaching and a lover of science.  It was not uncommon for her to consult with colleagues in an effort to ensure students were not given conflicting data from blending science related subjects.  "Please don't tell your students that blood is blue because they'll get that question wrong on my test," she would say. 

What Dawn loved most of all was spending time with her grandchildren. She loved cooking and holiday decorating, sharing special kitchen secrets with them only. She introduced the concept of good sportsmanship to the smaller grandchildren by playing games such as holiday Bingo, Checkers, Connect Four, Candy Land, and Old Maid.  Dawn had many great conversations with her older grandchildren and imparted her wisdom to them. She taught her granddaughters how to bake and sew. 

Dawn was very active in her church for over forty years, where she taught children and youth classes as well as participated in Women's Relief Society.  She supported Young Women's groups and sang with her church choir. 

Dawn had many hobbies throughout the years such as sewing, various crafts, and needlework. In the early 1970s, she toured locally with a gospel group and recorded an album.  In the 1990s she was a member of the Wilmington Choral Society. She spent many hours in her retirement years researching her family genealogy.  She loved fresh cut flowers on her table, her vegetable garden and always spoke of how her potted lemon tree is growing. 

Along with many other things, Dawn and her husband Terry taught her baby sister how to swim.  She also taught her baby sister how to cast a rod and reel.

Besides her grandparents, Dawn is preceded in death by her mother and father; her mother -in-law Erma Roberts; father-in-law John Casper Norton; and her aunt Doris and uncle Willard Bowers.

Dawn is survived by her husband Terry Norton, Wilmington, North Carolina; son Jason and his wife Amanda Norton, their children (grandchildren) McKinley, Ava, Hailey, John Michael, Collin and Hunter, of Wilmington, NC; sister Hope Townsend and her husband Vincent Townsend  Syracuse, Utah; many nieces and nephews but most notable; niece Alyson Abernathy, Wilmington, North Carolina; niece Courtney (Abernathy) Cox, and her husband Jason Cox, Wilmington, North Carolina, and nephew Tyler Rosak, Wilmington, North Carolina. 

Goodbye Dawn, you were a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an aunt, a friend and a teacher. You will be missed. 

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