IN MEMORIAM: Dawn C. Block, 76;
Spent Career Helping Young, Elderly
SOUTH HARTWICK – Dawn C. Block, 76, who spent her career caring for people, passed away early Friday morning, March 20, 2020, at Bassett Hospital, surrounded by her loving family.
She was born July 22, 1943, in the City of Newburgh, a daughter of Cecil and Sarah (Lewis) Rhodes. After living in various places she eventually settled in the Hartwick area.
Throughout her life she devoted much of her time to caring for people. She worked at The Meadows in Cooperstown and Chestnut Park Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Oneonta, and also provided babysitting services to area families. She especially enjoyed working with her daughter, Cheryl, at her Little People’s Daycare in Milford.
In her leisure Dawn enjoyed various arts and crafts such as knitting and crocheting: she was very proud of all the beautiful things she knitted and crocheted, showing everyone she met her creations. She also took great pleasure in doing puzzles, reading and watching birds, as well as listening to music, watching movies on TV, and all the animals. Being with her family gave her the greatest pleasure in life.
Dawn will be greatly missed by her five children and five grandchildren, Laura Pollak and husband, Andrew of South Hartwick; Daniel Shute and wife Donna of Edmeston and his son, Caleb Shute and his fiancé, Amanda; Cheryl Shaw and husband, Lester of Milford and their sons Andrew Shaw and his husband, Jason and Matthew Shaw; Rodney Shute and wife, Christina of Christian Hill and their sons, RJ and his fiancé, Jessica and Jessie and his fiancé, Krislynn; and Elda M. Clark of Hartwick. She will also be missed by her extended family, Corinne Pollak and Joseph Rotolo, Sr. of Upper Ducth Hill Road in Oneonta, Terry and Maureen Holtje of Edgewater, New Jersey, and Wendy (Ken) Dudek of Oriskany, as well as her pet Chinchilla, Molly.
She was predeceased by a son-in-law, Douglas Charles Clark; her father, Cecil Rhodes, Sr. and her mother, Sarah (Lewis) Morton, as well as her siblings, Cecil “Billy” Rhodes and Myna Clum.
Due to the current New York State limitations on public gatherings for health reasons, the funeral service for Dawn will be held privately for immediate family only at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
Interment will be later this Spring in Hartwick Cemetery.
For those who wish to remember Dawn with a memorial gift, her family respectfully asks that donations be made to the Susquehanna Animal Shelter, 4840 State Highway 28, Cooperstown, NY 13326.
Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.