Mrs. Kay Sharon Dawson

September 12, 1945 - November 25, 2019

Kay Julian Dawson, LCSW-C, was born, raised and educated in Baltimore City. Her parents were Glen Reginald Julian and Elizabeth Minton Julian. After graduating from Eastern High School, Kay worked for 20 years for the CSX Railroad, rising to the position of Chief Pricing Analyst. When CSX reorganized and moved several divisions to Jacksonville Florida, Kay took an early retirement buy-out and went back to school. She graduated in quick succession from Essex Community College (AA degree), University of Maryland Baltimore County (BA in Social Work) and University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1994 with a Master’s of Social Work with a Clinical focus. During this process, she had a variety of field experiences at UM Cancer Center, UM Medical System, Epoch Counseling Center, Dundalk Family Crisis Center, and Sheppard Pratt Hospital. She then began her social working career in 1995 at Stella Maris Hospice on inpatient units in Towson and at Mercy Hospital. She provided counseling focused on death and dying and bereavement, as well as facilitating family support groups. She continued her career as a social worker/counselor at the Man Alive Treatment Program. During this time, as a private LCSW-C provider, she provided workshops and groups in Living Well with Fibromyalgia, Coping with Chronic Conditions, Coping with Grief and Loss, Coping with and Managing Stress, and Going Beyond Coping. In her personal life, Kay consistently focused on bringing people together and keeping them connected. She is the person who has kept her group of close and long-time friends from the eighties together even as they have spread out throughout the country and beyond. Although its been described as “herding cats” this group still gathers on a regular basis due to her love and persistence. She also devotes a lot of her time to bringing her block of Ednor Gardens neighbors together for annual block parties for the past 20 years. As neighbors and families come and go, the annual party is always a success due to her efforts. Much of her time since her retirement has been devoted to two of her great passions: music and the Baltimore Ravens. Kay and her husband Larry have formed the group “Raised on the Radio” to perform oldies but goodies concerts at senior centers and nursing homes, playing sixties and seventies rock and soul classics that seniors don’t often get to hear. When the Ravens came to town, Kay and Larry got season tickets and went faithfully for 20 years. They now host Ravens watch parties for friends and neighbors to make watching a communal experience. Kay has studied and actively embraced many aspects and types of spirituality and has lived them every day. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory can be made to American Cancer Society, 405 Williams Court, Suite 120, Baltimore, MD 21220 or American Heart Association, 217 E Redwood St Suite 1100, Baltimore, MD 21201.