Dawn Spencer Latting

Dawn Spencer Latting, 79, passed away on Friday August 8, 2025, in Hilton Head, South Carolina. She was with her husband of 35 years, John Latting, who was by her side in her final days. Dawn was born in St. Joseph, Missouri to Rudy Spencer and Pearl (Vinson) Spencer and grew up in Hoyt, Kansas. She graduated from Hoyt High School and attended Baker University and the University of Kansas before ultimately graduating Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in Speech and English. Dawn was a lifelong active member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, which she served many years as Rush Adviser and Province President. She spoke fondly of her sorority and her “sisters” and always looked for opportunities to reconnect with them. Dawn taught Junior High School in Minnesota for several years before returning to Kansas where she pursued a career in Real Estate Management. Dawn had two sons with her first husband, Steve and Douglas Schrag. Steve lives in Overland Park, KS and works at INTRUST bank as a commercial real estate lender. Douglas currently resides in Denver, Colorado, and works at JMA Sports as a senior director in event management. Dawn cherished the early years of watching her boys grow up playing sports. Dawn also had one granddaughter, Olivia Schrag, who was a shining star and brought her so much happiness and joy! In 1990, Dawn met and married John Latting. They wed in Overland Park, KS, and resided for many years in the beautiful home they designed together in Kearney, Missouri. John and Dawn raised and trained several German Shorthaired Pointer puppies. Max, Gypsy and Belle were the sweetest of dogs who brought so much joy to Dawn over the years. Dawn was an amazing cook and found much joy and took tremendous pride in preparing incredible dishes for her family and friends. She loved being a part of a progressive dining experience with the Good Neighbor group in Kearney, Missouri. John and Dawn loved to travel together and visited many wonderful locations including St. Maarten, Italy, the Panama Canal, Alaska and a Viking River Cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. They also loved beautiful car trips to the mountains or the ocean. They especially loved the opportunity to bring their family together for a beach vacation. In 2013, John and Dawn moved across the country to Bluffton, South Carolina, just outside of Hilton Head. Here they enjoyed their retirement by continuing to travel, enjoying time with friends and visiting their family. Dawn is survived by her husband John, two sons, Steve and Douglas, two step children, Betsy (Rich) and Jeff(Hollie) and her granddaughter, Olivia. She is also survived by her sister Harriett (Bill) of Pennsylvania and brother David (Joyce) of Colorado and several nieces and nephews she loved dearly. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Dawn’s name to St. Jude’s Childrens’ Hospital or to the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105
Tel: 1-800-805-5856
Web: http://www.stjude.org/

German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America
Web: https://www.gspca.org/