Dawn Beard (née Cunningham), age 64, of Portage, Wisconsin passed away on March 27, 2025 surrounded by her loving family.
No services are planned at this time.
Dawn was born on July 15, 1960 in Warren, Ohio and is the beloved daughter of Bruce and Mary (Heredia) Cunningham. Dawn grew up the only daughter in a family of five children, caring deeply for her brothers and parents. Despite being the only daughter, Dawn found others to fill the roles of her sisters at an early age, like her best friend Cindi Nordine (née George) who would become a lifelong companion and support. Throughout Dawn's early adulthood, her adventurous personality and zest for life led her to explore the United States with her friends and family, living in Ohio, Florida, Hawaii, Montana, and Colorado before meeting her husband, Scott, in Wisconsin. Scott and Dawn dated for two weeks before Scott proposed, to which she replied "Are you sure?". Scott and Dawn recently celebrated their 39th anniversary. Following the birth of their first daughter, she attended art school and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Dawn was a loving mother and light to many; including her beloved foster children Sarah, Phoenix and others, as well as her Beard children and their many friends. Throughout her life, she balanced caring for her children and caring for herself: dedicating time to painting, learning and mastering new art mediums, and spending time with her horses. She had a lifelong love for animals and the lessons they can teach us. She cared deeply for the animals that came into our lives, such as horses, dogs, cats, chinchillas, toads, hamsters and gerbils, and loved observing animals in nature, like the cranes who lived behind our home and the hummingbirds who often visited. She valued her time with horses immensely, using the time to slow down and remind us of the values of patience, compassion, humility, and trust. Despite her cancer diagnosis in 2019, her strength and resilience pushed her to continue arm wrestling her sons, trail riding with friends, thrifting, and working full time. And despite the treatments, she always showed up for her loved ones. One of her favorite activities was watching her youngest daughter, Lily, play basketball, where she was well-known to other parents as someone who would gladly strike up a warm conversation and share a laugh. Dawn has always been a loving mother and wife, a passionately gifted artist, and a role model in living kindly and joyfully. She loved unconditionally and will always be loved unconditionally. The music of her soul filled every room of our home. Her laughter, smile, and the brightness that she brought wherever she went will be deeply missed; her family takes solace in the impact that she had on others.
Dawn is survived by her husband Scott, her children Kyla, Salene (Vasco), Mitchell, Daniel and Lilliana; brothers Bob (Patty, Ty, and Megan) Kaestner, Ric Kaestner, Jim (Sharon, Tory, and Taylor) Cunningham and Chris Cunningham; and close friends whom she considered to be her family. She is further survived by her beloved Ho-Chunk sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews on Scott's side of the family. She is preceded in death by her parents.
In lieu of flowers or other gifts, please donate in her name to the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center. She respected and appreciated working with her care team at the UW Carbone Cancer Center, who helped her and our family to enjoy an additional five years together following her cancer diagnosis. https://cancer.wisc.edu/giving/