Obituary of Dawn Eleanor Gillotti

Dawn E. Gillotti, 80, passed away December 21, 2024 with her husband and children by her side. Family and friends may attend a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am on Friday January 3rd, at St. Francis church in Geneva. Entombment will follow at St. Mary's cemetery. Dawn was born July 12, 1944 in Little Falls, NY and was the daughter of the late Lawrence and Jane (O'Neil) MacDonald. Dawn grew up in Little Falls and went on to attend SUNY Brockport where she received a teaching degree. After graduating from college, Dawn came to Geneva in 1966 when she was tagging along with her best friend who had a job interview with the Geneva School District. Dawn ended up getting a job as well, which began her 30+ year career as a teacher. She spent many years teaching at West St. School and later transitioned to Geneva Middle School where she taught 6th grade science. It was there that she spent countless hours helping to head up the Outdoor Ed program which was near and dear to her heart. She always enjoyed running into former students and hearing about their lives and accomplishments. In her 40's, while still working as a teacher, Dawn went back to college to pursue an art degree. Already possessing an innate talent for art, she began taking classes at FLCC where she discovered a love of photography and earned a degree in graphic arts. After her retirement, Dawn found an interest in artistic flower arranging and began entering reigonal competitions, earning several awards. She went on to become a Nationally Accredited Flower Show Judge, which was a challenging task that involved endless hours of classes and lengthy exams. It came as no surprise to anyone when she aced them all. Dawn's numerous gardens were a sight to behold, and you could almost always find her in the yard tending to them. She was a member of the Hoe 'n Hope Garden Club in Geneva. At various times, she served as president and vice-president of this federated club which was responsible for the original installation of 20 flower beds in the North Main Street median. She worked for over 10 years on that project, often donating plants from her own glorious gardens. She and her fellow club members also raised money and organized the installation of the Blue Star Memorial marker which is located along the lakefront in Geneva. Dawn was also a member of Geneva's shade tree committee for a time. Dawn was queen of all things related to crafting, camping, birthday cakes, Halloween costumes, holiday decorating (especially Christmas lights), homework help, Monarch butterfly hatching, and gardening. She will be greatly missed by family and friends. Dawn is survived by her husband of 56 years, Nicholas Gillotti; daughter Nicole (Jeff) Trickler and son Jason Gillotti of Geneva; grandsons Cooper and Nicholas Trickler; niece Michele (Chet) O'Brien and nephew Jeff Greco; great nieces Giovanna (Tyler) Brooks, Hannah Greco, Paige and Danielle O'Brien; sister-in-law Joann Greco; aunt Gladys O'Neil; great-great niece Lucy Brooks; and several cousins. She was predeceased by her parents, uncles George "Buddy" O'Neil, James MacDonald and Jim Baker, and aunts Evelyn MacDonald and Erma Baker. If you knew Dawn then you knew of her great love of flowers, but that her love of animals was even greater, so we ask that in lieu of flowers a donation of money or supplies be made in her memory to Beverly Animal Shelter (50 E. River Rd Waterloo, NY 13165), Happy Tails (2976 County Rd 48 Canandaigua, NY 14424) or an animal shelter in your community.