Mildred Catherine "Katy" Dawson was born January 20, 1930, to Mildred Masters McCarty and William Alfred McCarty in Wichita Falls, Texas. Her grandparents were W.N. and Lula Masters of Denton, and William A. and Beverly McCarty of Quitman, Mississippi. She is survived by her brother William "Bill" A. McCarty Jr. of Amarillo, TX with wife Elinor "Poppy".

She married David F. Dawson, on June 5, 1948. He preceded her in death on February 7, 2011. She graduated from Wichita Falls High School in 1945 and later received a B.A. in Spanish with honors from NTSU, now UNT. She received her master's degree from UNT in 1949, and took post-masters courses at the University of Texas at Austin, UNT, and Instituto de Filologia Espanola in Saltillo, Mexico. After all the children were in school, she taught as an adjunct in the language department at UNT.

She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Women of UNT, the Denton Benefit League, Ann's Haven Hospice/VNA Auxiliary, and the adult handbell ensemble at the First United Methodist Church. She served as president of the Denton Benefit League, president of the Women of UNT, and three terms as president of Ann's Haven Hospice/VNA Auxiliary. In 1986, she received the Honor Professor Award from the Meadows Foundation. She loved to do her daily walks, swimming early in the morning in the summer, read, knit, work in the yard, play bridge, and play handbells.

Her children are Dr. Dan Paul Dawson, David R. Dawson and wife Linda, Sharon Ann Dawson, Don K. Dawson and wife Aurora, John W. Dawson (preceded in death in August 2018), Catherine Sue Dawson Prather and husband Rich Prather. Grandchildren are Damon Boswell, Tara Leigh Moore, Nathan Dawson, Isaac Dawson-Cabrera, Colby Dawson, Miranda Dawson, Mariah Dawson, two step grandchildren, Evan Froeschl, and Megan Froeschl. She had two great-grandchildren and five step great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Denton on Friday, April 14th at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers or food, the family asks that you make donations in Katy's honor to the Affordable Housing Initiative of First United Methodist Church of Denton.