[Nfbv-announce] Dawnelle Cruze

[Michael Kasey]

Here is Dawnelle's Obituary as it appears in the Virginian Pilot.  

 

Dawnelle D. Cruze

Dawnelle D. Cruze

Virginia Beach - Dawnelle D. Cruze, 61, of Virginia Beach, went to be with
the Lord on Wednesday, December 17, 2014. 

She was the daughter of the late Doris D. Cruze. 

Dawnelle was an excellent advocate for blind in many areas. She was a
longtime member of the advisory committee for the state library for the
blind. She was a founding member of the Tidewater chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind (NFB) and served as its president for several years.
Dawnelle graduated from Mary Washington University where she received a BA
in Sociology and she also received a masters degree in Sociology from VCU.
She was a supervisor at the Norfolk Red Cross working for military families
division and retired there after 27 years. Dawnelle also served as a field
instructor at Norfolk State University, School of Social Work. She served
many years on the Board of Directors for the Virginia State Federation of
the Blind and was a member of National Association of Social Workers. She
was active in the NFB on both the state and national levels. She served as
the second vice-president on the state level, and was president of the
affiliate's diabetic division. The NFB gives 30 college scholarships
annually, and Dawnelle has served on the national committee to choose the
recipients of these scholarships. Dawnelle was a loving and caring sister,
aunt and loyal friend. She always put the needs of others before herself and
always the person with the biggest smile in the room. She was faithful
member of St. Benedict's Parish Catholic Church for many years. 

Survivors include her brother Steve Rankin; sister-in-law, Patti Rankin;
niece, Kelli Rankin and nephew, Mark Rankin. 

A requiem funeral mass will be conducted at 9:00 am Saturday, December 20,
2014 at St Benedict's Parish, 521 McCosh Dr. Chesapeake, 23320.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 7:30 pm Friday, December 19,
2014 at the Great Bridge Chapel of Oman Funeral Home & Crematory, 653 Cedar
Rd. Chesapeake, 23322. An inurnment will be held on a later date in
Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. Friends are invited to sign the online guestbook
at  <http://www.omanfh.com/> www.omanfh.com.

 

Additional information not appearing in the obituary:

In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be given to the
Tidewater chapter of the National Federation of the Blind or to Dawnelle's
funeral expenses.  Dawnelle's life insurance policy did not mature due to
her illnesses.  To make a donation to the funeral expenses, contact the
funeral home directly.  The address is given above in the information about
the viewing.  The phone number is (757) 547-5184.

Anyone wishing to send a donation to the NFBV Tidewater chapter in her
memory should send it to:

our treasurer, Michael Davis.  His address is

Michael Davis

4132 Shoreline circle, Apartment 238

Virginia Beach, VA 23452

 

 

 


The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.