Dawn Rebecca Cullaton

Dawn Rebecca Caris Cullaton, a beloved daughter, mother, partner, sister and friend, left this world on December 21, 2025, in Philadelphia, PA. Born on September 21, 1970, in Plainfield, NJ, daughter of Robert Caris and the late Lorraine (Rosengarten) Caris, Dawn filled her world with gratitude, humor, grace, and a remarkable zest for life. Dawn grew up in Toms River, NJ, and built a life with her family in Ringoes, NJ.

Dawn’s vibrant spirit shone through in every aspect of her life. A proud graduate of Toms River High School South, she continued her education at Ocean County College before earning her Bachelor's Degree in Education of the Hearing Impaired from Kean College. Her career was marked by a deep commitment to service, working with the NJ Association for the Deaf and the ARC of Union County. She was a dedicated Human Resources Business Partner at Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, and for the last decade at Verizon, where she brought her unique sense of humor and unsurpassable humanity to the workplace, positively influencing the lives of countless colleagues. She loved her work and cared deeply about the colleagues she supported every day.

An actress at heart, Dawn showcased her talents in numerous musicals and drama productions, and carried her love of theater throughout her life, thrilled when her daughters shared her love. She also had a remarkable talent for quoting facets of pop culture - movies, songs, and TV shows, always managing to elicit laughter and delight from those around her. She loved spending time outdoors with her chickens, cats, and dog, cultivating a backyard garden oasis filled with vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers - a reflection of her deep love for the beauty of nature.

Above all, being with her family was most important in Dawn’s life. She cherished time with the loves of her life, her treasured daughters Caris and Caleigh of Ringoes, NJ, and was so very proud of them. She shared many memorable moments, special vacations and everyday joys with her devoted partner, Michael Horowitz. Drawing strength from her connections with her family, she is also survived by her father, Bob Caris (Manchester, NJ), her steadfast pillar in life whom she loved dearly. She shared a special bond and a lifetime of memories and inside jokes with her sisters, Jessica (and brother-in-law, Jeremy Lincoln of Maple Glen, PA) and Ariel (and brother-in-law, Michael Silver of Haddonfield, NJ). She was the world’s most loving aunt to her nieces Aviva, Angie, Meghan, and Erin and nephews Jacob and Alex who will forever remember her humor and playfulness. Always surrounded by love, her cousins Julie and Jen and their families, sister-in-law Traci and her family and the entire Cullaton family, who adopted Dawn as their own, held a special place in her heart along with with so many happy memories.

In every way that mattered Dawn lived with courage and kindness, authenticity and passion. Dawn’s nurturing spirit extended to all those she loved, both people and animals who will miss her long conversations and hugs. She loved to travel, seeking new experiences both near and far, never missing an opportunity to discover or learn. Whether regaling with stories, taking long walks on the beach, tending her garden, seeing a show, savoring her love of cooking and good food, or listening with love to her daughters’ every triumph and challenge, every melody and harmony, Dawn truly treasured each moment.

Dawn is preceded in death by her dearly loved and missed mother Lorraine (Rosengarten) Caris in 2015 and her former husband Jeff Cullaton in 2018, along with her beloved aunt Arleen Shapow who passed in 2004. The love they shared continues to live on in the memories of family and friends.

In honor of Dawn’s legacy, we remember her as an outspoken, fiercely brave, and loving individual who painted the world with her colorful personality and kept everyone on their toes with her quick wit. She will be profoundly missed by all whose lives she touched, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts that will carry on through the laughter and memories we cherish. May we each dream and little longer, smile a little brighter, and hold our loved ones a little tighter in her memory and by her example.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Dawn's memory may be made to the United Porphyrias Association, 7315 Wisconsin Ave STE 400W, Bethesda MD 20814-3224 (www.porphyria.org).

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main St, Flemington NJ 08822. For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.holcombefisher.com.