Dawn (Murray) Quinn leapt into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on February 15, 2026, at John Knox Village Care Center, Lee’s Summit, MO. Dawn was born on March 6, 1938, in her family farm home in Albany, MO. She attended elementary and middle school at Dorsey School, which was a one room schoolhouse just down the road from her farm home. She then attended Albany High School until right before her senior year when her parents made the difficult decision to sell the farm in Albany and move to Marshalltown, IA. Dawn graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1955. Dawn’s faith, personality, sense of humor and infectious laugh lit up every room she entered and although it was difficult to be pulled away from her high school right before her senior year, she handled it, as everything she faced with her strong trust in Jesus, grace and humor.

During Dawn’s sophomore year of high school in Albany, she met a boy who she admitted was the most handsome boy she had ever seen! That boy, Rod Quinn, became the love of her life and they married on October 18, 1959. They had been separated for four years while Rod was in the Air Force in Montgomery, AL and Dawn was attending Evangelical School of Nursing in Marshalltown. They saw each other only one to two times per year during those four long years and vowed then to never be apart again…and they weren’t! In fact, it was never really Rod OR Dawn, it was always Rod AND Dawn, never one without the other until Rod’s passing in 2024.

Dawn had three important things in her life in this order: Jesus, family and her beloved profession of nursing. On February 15, 1966, they welcomed their one and only child, a daughter, after over six years of wanting to be parents. That daughter went on to follow in her Mama’s footsteps by becoming an RN as well, in 1987.

Dawn was very active in the First Baptist Church in Albany. She was such a talented singer with a beautiful voice. She actually won a vocal competition while in nursing school which sent her all the way to Atlantic City to perform! She used that beautiful voice to bless the Lord and the congregation by singing in the choir, doing solos, duets and quartets which she loved. She also contributed to her church in Albany as the Sunday School teacher for the special needs class. That special needs community had become one of her passions in nursing. She worked for the State of Missouri at the Albany Regional Center for 28 years as Director of Nursing as well as Team Leader, managing 42 counties in Missouri. Dawn became acquainted with Governor Kit Bond in the 1970’s as he also had a place in his heart for those with special needs. Dawn, with the support of Gov. Bond wrote the very first infant to adult developmental screening tool for recognizing special needs in individuals. The “First Steps” program, which Dawn wrote and titled, became the benchmark for the medical, educational, and special needs industries for many years until it was replaced in the mid 1990’s to the early 2000’s. Dawn traveled those 42 counties in Missouri, providing “First Steps” developmental screenings and follow-ups, ensuring those individuals in need of services, received those services to allow the special needs community to thrive. She established the first developmental screenings in the Amish Community in Jamesport, MO, detecting needs in many of those children and adults who had never had services provided for them until Dawn came around.

In 1993, Dawn retired from the Albany Regional Center, and she and Rod moved to Osage Beach, MO, fulfilling a nearly life-long dream of living on the lake. They had many years at the lake enjoying boating, entertaining the family, hosting Christmases for their extended family and traveling to the Southwest where they loved supporting the Native American community. But Dawn couldn’t slow down, of course, so she took a job as an RN at Osage Beach Rehab and Health Care Center and stayed there for 23 years, winning more than one accolade for her outstanding work. During that time, she became a Certified Nursing Assistant Instructor and Certified CPR trainer. She continued to teach CNAs until she was nearly 80 years old when she and Rod left the lake and moved to Pleasant Hill, MO where they bought a home and settled in to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren whom she adored. Unfortunately, not long after they moved, Dawn became ill, requiring invasive surgery and suffering two small post-operative strokes. Things weren’t the same after that, but as she and Rod never did anything alone, Rod cared for Dawn at home until his own illness and subsequent death in 2024. Dawn, though heart-broken, stayed at the Nursing Facility where she and Rod had moved to in early 2024, and thrived there for nearly two years until the pain of being without Rod got to be too much for her and she went Home to be with Rod and her Savior. Dawn would often say, “I just want to go to Heaven!” and that is exactly what she did! She lived an amazing almost 88 years and touched countless lives in those many years. She left a legacy of love for Jesus, her family and her friends, not to mention supporting and always encouraging the nursing profession.

Dawn was proceeded in death by her brother Alexander Murray, and older sisters Glenna Lykins, and Margaret Quinn. She is survived by her daughter Shawna Frazier (Keith) of Pleasant Hill, MO; granddaughter Ariel (Brandon) Otto, of Jefferson City, MO, Jade Frazier (Kami Grimshaw), of Grandview, MO, great-grandchildren Beau and Josephine Otto, and many nieces, nephews and their families whom she treasured.

A Celebration of Life will take place at Roberson-Polley Chapel in Albany, MO on October 17, 2026, at 1:30 P.M., with a short grave side service immediately following at the Carmack Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made directly to the Institute of American Indian Arts by going to give.iaia.edu and clicking “donate”. Online Condolences:www.robersonpolleychapel.com