Dawn E. DeSantis

WOLCOTT
Dawn E. DeSantis
"Amazing wife, sister, aunt, & founder of Spotty Dog Rescue"
Dawn Elizabeth DeSantis-Mancini, 64, passed away very peacefully on September 6, 2023 after losing her courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was the loving wife of Claudio Mancini and the daughter of the late Phyllis (Anderson) Mulloy and Anthony DeSantis.
Dawn is also predeceased by her brother, Stephen DeSantis and her beloved Aunt Mary (Meskun). In addition to her loving husband, Dawn is survived by her sisters, Pat DeSantis, of Clinton, Jayne (Edward "Bud") O'Donnell, of Avon, and Joan (Robert) Lawson of Waterbury. She also leaves her in-laws Nicola and Antonia Mancini, stepson, Michaelangelo Mancini and stepdaughter Gina (David) Van Fleet, and her sisters-in-law Marisa (Luigi) Cavallo and Micki (Ronald) Casalino.
Dawn will be greatly missed by her nieces, Melissa (Bill) Dorish, Aimee (Douglas) Anderson, Brooke (Brandon) Fitzgerald, her nephew, Ryan (Whitney) O'Donnell, great-nieces, Emily Sorrentino, Fallon O'Donnell and great-nephews, Luke Anderson, Lochlan and Rory O'Donnell and Roan Fitzgerald. She also leaves behind several aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and her cherished dogs, Tasha, Sneakers and Xander.
Dawn lived life to the fullest and had a fiery spirit and loving heart. She was a passionate lover and savior of dogs, starting Spotty Dog Rescue organization 11 years ago and saving over 800 dogs. She rescued dogs from as far away as St. Thomas Virgin Islands and Grand Cayman. Even when it seemed daunting, Dawn never gave up on a dog. Her legacy will live on in every dog she saved.
Having earned her Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School, Dawn served as assistant corporation counsel for the City of Waterbury for 26 years. A former colleague and friend once said he never met a lawyer who advocated for her clients harder than Dawn did. This should come as no surprise to anyone who knew her. Dawn didn't do anything less than 1000%!
Dawn was the center of her family. Every year she found the perfect Christmas tree, even if meant trudging for miles in the pouring rain or snow. That tree was the centerpiece of family holiday dinners. Her Christmas cookies were legendary and she spent days making them, often with family members as assistant bakers. During COVID, she even drove all over the state delivering tins of her cookies to family and friends. Dawn carried on many other family traditions, such as celebrating birthdays with the special from-scratch chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting. Her Swedish meatballs were also famous, a recipe she carried on from her mom.
Besides spending time with her family, friends and fur babies, Dawn loved to travel with her husband to St. Thomas, Italy and Nantucket. Her favorite destination was St. Thomas where she looked forward to the beaches and beautiful sunsets. Dawn also enjoyed spending time planting flowers and taking care of her magnificent yard. Dawn touched so many with her thoughtful, caring heart and will always be remembered by those who loved her.
Arrangements: Friends and family may pay their respects to Dawn on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Chase Parkway Memorial, the Albini Family Funeral Home, 430 Chase Parkway, Waterbury. A funeral service will immediately follow calling hours at 12:00 p.m. Burial will be held private and at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dawn's memory to:
Spotty Dog Rescue
P.O. Box 1751
Waterbury, CT 06721 or visit www.spottydogrescue.org