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Dawn Flores
Dawn Marie (Gulembo) Flores, 64, of Scottville, passed away on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
Dawn was born on November 20, 1960, in Kalamazoo. She was adopted by the best parents ever when she was 7 ½ months old. In 1995, she was lucky enough to find her birth family. She was a graduate of Mason County Central High School in 1978 and received an associate of arts degree in child development from West Shore Community College in 1980. She spent most of her life in the school system, as she loved being with kids, at any age, especially working with high-risk kids.
She was married to Craig Johnston in 1981, and they moved to Texas. Within a couple of years, they were divorced. She then met David Flores Sr. in the early 1980s and they were wed in 1991. They moved to Michigan in 1994 to take care of her mom until she passed away. In 1996 they adopted an 8-year-old son, Ramon. In 2001 Dawn drove to New Mexico to get her stepdaughter and step-grandson, which she has raised to the present time. Dawn never had any kids of her own, but she loved Ramon, her step-kids, David Jr. and Chasity “Chatty” Flores and grandkids as if they were her own. Dawn and David were divorced in 2004 but stayed together for the grandkid’s sake. In 2010 she married in Egypt, but she let that marriage go.
She was always very active and loved to play softball. But due to her Illness, her last game was with The Crow’s Nest in the summer of 1995. She loved to read, do crafts, use the computer, go to the beach, listen to music and go to concerts. If she got the chance, she would meet the bands. Her all-time favorite band was Led Zeppelin, but in the past years she was into Type O Negative and Heavy/Goth Metal. She enjoyed being with people and would do anything for anybody.
Before her death she suffered horribly and was severely depressed and didn’t get out much, except to go to her doctors. After she first got sick in 1989, she suffered slowly through the years. She had many health problems, which hindered her activity and her emotional life.
She is survived by her ex-husband David Flores Sr.; her son Ramon David-Erik Flores; half-siblings Ron Cook of St. Petersburg, Fla., John (Deb) Cook of Ithica, Donna (Rusty) Wood of Maine and Don (Donna) Barnes of Marion, Ind.; special friends Soufianne Maakouk, Deb Hulst and Steve Scholes; special birth aunt, Betty Smith; stepdaughter, Chasity Flores and stepson, David Flores Jr.; step-grandkids Jourdyn, Andrew, Sean and Caleb (Chasity); Cassandra, Nathan, Cassidy, and Kaidyn (David Jr.); Aiden, Liz and Deanna (Ramon); great-grandkids, Maverick and Emerson Flores; many nieces, nephews, cousins, birth and adoptive family. She loves all her step-grand kids, but raising Cassandra and Nathan made her life complete.
She was preceded in death by her special dad, Calvin Gulembo; her special mom Vernice Gulembo; her special birth mom Marjorie Hungerford (who she never got to meet); many aunts, uncles and other family members. She regretted that she never got to meet her birth mother, but she wouldn’t have traded her adoptive parents for anything. Her parents gave her the best of life and she couldn’t have asked for more. She also lost two special friends, Deb Shiier in 2016 and Suzanne Lee in 2003.
She wanted friends and Facebook friends to know how much she cared and loved them all and how much she would miss them. She sends a special message of how much she loves and how much she will miss her great friend, Dale from New Zeeland.
Friends and relatives of Dawn are invited to share in the Celebration of her life at Oak Grove Funeral Home of Ludington on Friday, June 6, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
She was hoping that after the service that everyone would meet up at Charlie’s Bar in Scottville and have a good time. She wants this to be a happy occasion, not a sad one. She understands that when someone passes, it is a sad time, but she wants everyone to celebrate her life, not her death.
Arrangements were entrusted to Oak Grove Funeral Home of Ludington, www.OakGroveLudington.com.
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