Donna Koller

On May 6th, 2023, Donna (affectionately known as Miss Dawn) Marie (Genovese) Koller, loving wife and mother of four children passed away at the age of 70.
Donna was born on June 9, 1952 in Gloucester, Massachusetts into the large Italian fishing family of Albert and Lucille (Rogers) Genovese. She graduated from Gloucester High School in 1971 and was heavily involved in the art of dance since the age of 12. On October 26,1975 she married Gregory Scott Koller. They raised two sons, Greg and Chris, and two daughters, Tiffany and Brittany.
Dawn's passion for dance and choreography started in 1964-65 when she and one of her best friends Charmaine Dunn joined dance class at Miss Tina's School of Dance. She went from being a student to becoming a student teacher for Miss Tina, until 1982, when she officially opened her own studio known as Dawn's Studio of Dance. Dawn was a talented and fun dance teacher who valued all her students. Dawn touched thousands of lives through her passion for dance over the last 40 plus years. Students and parents alike loved and cherished Miss Dawn. They looked to her for guidance, compassion, friendship and camaraderie. Dawn's students thrived over the years through workshops, trade events and even receiving personal invitations to perform at Disney World.
Dawn enjoyed spending time in the kitchen cooking for family and friends. She cherished her Christmas Eve gatherings where she always had a wonderful spread of foods, including her Italian specialties like arancini and bista with zugu. She also greatly enjoyed knitting, grocery shopping, spending time with her grandchildren, gambling, and sharing her passion for Disney with her daughters & grandchildren.
Dawn is survived by her loving husband Greg, her four children and their spouses, Greg and Jen Koller, Chris and Bel Koller, Tiffany and Troy Smith, and Brittany and John Shaw, her one and only favorite niece Michele Genovese, her partner in crime Miss Tina LaFlam, nine grandchildren, many cousins Aunts & Uncles, and nephew Albert III. She was preceded in death by her father Albert, her mother Lucille, and her brother Albert Jr.
Her funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, 142 Prospect St., Gloucester, on Friday, May 12, at 10:00am. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Visiting hours at the Campbell Funeral Home, 61 Middle St., Gloucester, on Thursday, May 11, from 4:00-7:00pm. Contributions may be made in Donna's memory to Mass General Cancer Center at giving.massgeneral.org. Information, directions, condolences at www.campbellfuneral.com.