Dawn Lynn Mary was born on Tuesday, January 16, 1979, in York, Ontario to proud parents Gary and Patricia (Neal) Greer. She joined older brother Paul (1977), with the family calling Toronto home for the first few years. In the early 1980’s the family moved north to Palgrave, before later settling in Elmvale where Dawn began school. She went on to attend Elmvale District High School before moving to Proton Station with her maternal grandparents where she graduated from Grey Highlands Secondary School in Flesherton.
Upon graduation from high school, Dawn began to work at the family pet store, Pet Paradise, in Barrie. In 1999, Dawn’s world forever changed when she became the proud mother of Alexa. With the support of family and friends, Dawn continued to work and provide for her young. She and Lexie soon joined her cousin, Diana in Barrie, where Dawn was provided further support. It was during this period, that Dawn was introduced to a young man by the name of David John (DJ) Klass Veen. By 2004 Dawn was working in customer service at Horseshoe Valley and calling Elmvale home. The following year she and DJ began formally dating and together welcomed their daughter Ava later that year. In 2007 the couple bought a family home in New Lowell and relocated. Dawn was working for a call center in Barrie at the time. Their family was made complete with the arrival of their son Jacob in 2008.
On August 27, 2012, Dawn and DJ became husband and wife, saying their vows in front of friends and family at Weirmeir Lake. By this time Dawn was working as a customer service rep for Telus. However, tragedy struck that same year, when Dawn’s mother Pat, died after a battle with cancer. This was a difficult period of Dawn’s life, and she relied on the support of family and friends to help her through those difficult weeks and months that followed. Losing her mom at a young age led Dawn to explore some previously unchartered waters, whereby she began to have an interest in spirits, ghosts, and apparitions. She tried her hand at holistic medicine and included essential oils in her daily life.
In 2016, the Veen family relocated to Durham, and a more rural, laid-back lifestyle. Here, Dawn enjoyed working in the gardens and caring for her many house plants. She loved horticulture and truly had a green thumb! Dawn could also be known as a bit of a pack rat, never liking to part with much. She enjoyed collecting gemstones and crystals and shared this passion with those around her. Dawn also loved to travel. Through the years she experienced the United Kingdom, Scotland, Cuba, and Las Vegas, just to name a few. Closer to home, she enjoyed road trips to the northeast coast of the US and Prince Edward Island, which was her favourite. Honestly, it didn’t matter if she was relaxing in her family size tube cruising down the river or jumping in the car on a Saturday morning and heading out for a drive… with no destination in mind. Dawn loved to be out and exploring! Back at home, Dawn loved collecting antiques and was a true animal lover. The Veen family always enjoyed the companionship of animals, often having more than one at a time. Her beloved, Tucker, was her favourite though…. thankful the others can’t read this, right?
When not busy with the kids, or work, Dawn enjoyed relaxing around the house. She enjoyed the likes of Grey’s Anatomy, 9-1-1, and in her younger years who could forget 90210. Like most teenage girls of the 90’s, her favourite artists were New Kids on the Block. More recently she preferred a variety of pop and dance music, with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Shawn Mendes being her go to’s. DJ’s famous chicken tornados, along with mashed potatoes, corn and gravy were a favourite of Dawn’s, and who could forget her tea… with a little milk and sugar. Dawn often liked to switch it up when it came to her drinks, as her family often joked that she always had a new favourite drink every month.
Dawn was a kind-hearted, joyful woman, who always put the needs of her family before her own. She loved spending time with the kids, whether it was just relaxing around home or out on the next adventure. Date nights with DJ were a staple, whereby they often enjoyed a dinner out, before catching a movie or heading to the Drive-In theatre. Other family highlights included High Tea, with the girls on Ava’s birthday, and family gatherings where Dawn always liked to make sure all the fixings were prepared and enjoyed by her family.
Tragedy struck Dawn and her family in January of this year when she was diagnosed with cancer. Although devastating news, Dawn remained positive throughout the last few months, and continued to receive treatments right up to her final few weeks. She was a true warrior, and always tried to look out for the best interest of the kids and DJ. In recent weeks, Dawn became palliative, and spent her final days in hospice care, where she was surrounded by the love and support of her family and friends. Dawn passed away with DJ by her side on Monday, April 29, 2024, in her 46th year.
Beloved wife of DJ. Loving mother of Alexa-Lynne Greer (Alex Peyton) of Dundalk, Ava Greer-Veen, and Jacob Greer-Veen, both at home. Cherished daughter of Gary Greer of Durham and sister of Paul Dales of Bracebridge. Dawn will be dearly missed by her grandfather Thomas Greer of Tottenham, mother-in-law Dianne Veen of R.R. #1 Durham, sister-in-law Terri (Mike) Kraemer of Hepworth and brother-in-law Kevin (Kim) Veen of Kitchener as well as their families. She was predeceased by her mother Pat Dales and father-in-law Dave Veen.
A celebration of Dawn’s life will be held at the Durham Community Centre on Saturday, May 11, 2024, from 1 – 4 p.m. with words of remembrance shared at 2 p.m. Private family interment in Holstein Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Grey Bruce Hospice Inc. (Chapman House) would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
