At any rate, a few of my friends encouraged me to talk to her, because we were both into "new music," or whatever they used to call the stuff that turned into alternative rock. Not really sure how I found the courage, but I must have walked up to her at some point and started talking about some of the bands we liked, or some other nonsense. Whatever I did though, it must have worked. We spent most of our first night together in my dorm room making out on the floor and listening to records 'til about 5:30 in the morning. I probably also played her a few songs on my 1978 Yamaha acoustic guitar, recently decorated with multi-colored Avery polka-dot stickers, which is something you have the time to do when you have no girlfriend.

After that night, we were pretty much constantly together. Dawn was always really fun to be around, and was a generally cheerful, easy-going girl; a nice contrast to my Smiths-loving doom & gloom outlook on life.

At the end of our freshman year, we both decided to get jobs at the Pine Knob concert theater, so we could work together over the summer. The only problem was that I really went and did this, and she didn't! So I spent my summer with Cheap Trick and REO Speedwagon, and she went wherever she went, and we slowly drifted apart.

We both still lived near each other during the last year I attended MSU, yet we didn't see much of each other any more. We briefly got back together over Christmas break when we were both stranded in East Lansing, but whatever we had the year before had run its course, and Dawn and I both went on to see other people, which for me, included the woman who would eventually become my wife.

We saw each other a few times after I moved to Boston, but we had not spoken since 1989 when I moved to California. In April of '91, I got the call from a friend that Dawn had been killed in a late night car wreck in Dearborn. I really didn't know what to feel, and had never been through something like this before (or since). For whatever reason, I decided not to fly back for the funeral, which I really regret now. I wasn't close with Dawn's family, and had not been in touch with her for a while, but that is no excuse for not saying goodbye to her when I had the chance. Guess I hope that this page will serve as some sort of apology to her, and I am also hoping that others will follow my lead and contribute something to this page in honor of her memory. I recently learned that both her dad and her older sister are gone now as well, so this page and our fond memories is really all we have left of her.

-Rob Disner (Feb. 19, 2006)

Coincidentally, the night Dawn was killed in that car accident, I was throwing a party in my townhouse in Southfield. I hadn't spoken to Dawn for about 9 months at that time. It crossed my mind to call her and invite her to the party, but I never acted on it. How strange to think how things could have turned out differently had she decided to come to the party instead of going where she did...

I received "the call" from Pam Claydon the next night. It was on a Sunday. I believe the night of the party was April 6th, 1991. So that would be the night when Dawn died. Although it was already the morning hours of the 7th when it actually happened. Anyway, when Pam called me and said "Are you sitting down?" I knew immediately something was wrong, and that it involved Dawn. That is when she told me that Dawn had been killed in a car accident the night before. She then proceeded to give me a lot of details.

Apparently, Dawn was out at a bar in Dearborn with 2 guys that night. She was due to report to work at 5:30 in the morning at the airport. Also, daylight savings time began that night. So what should have been 1:00 suddenly turned into 2:00. Well, knowing she had to be at work by 5:30am, I think it got Dawn all in a rush.

Apparently the car was going very fast when it happened. The two boys were in the front seat and Dawn was in the back seat (with no seatbelt). Now, Dawn was always a backseat driver, and I can just bet she would have been saying things like "hurry, hurry!" Probably more or less she was kidding around and said it with a smile, but I can picture it.

They were entering the expressway and this particular onramp was one of those that travels in a big circle almost all the way around before you get to the expressway. Well, the car was traveling so fast that it tipped and then rolled violently. Dawn was thrown from the car. The two guys were barely hurt at all, but Dawn went into shock at the hospital and never recovered.

-Jeri Risin (Feb. 20, 2006)

The intersection of Ford Rd. and the Southfield Fwy.

I met Dawn freshman year at MSU (Fall 1984) and even though she really liked Rob, we still became close friends. I remember she was a very nice girl, always had a smile (at least for me), and even though she had gone through some tough times growing up, she still had a great outlook.

She played women's hockey and got a scholarship to some college in Buffalo, NY (I think) to play. I'm not sure what brought her to MSU, but I'm not sure why many of us went to MSU...

She lived right downstairs from us and we used to eat together a lot. We shared a similar taste in music. I loved that Dawn had that whole "early-'80s-Molly Ringwald-Pretty In Pink" style. We went to Depeche Mode appreciation night at some club in Detroit. We saw a bunch of movies together, I remember 'Say Anything' with Jon Cusack and Ione Skye. Dawn came to my house for Passover dinner and met my parents in April, 1985.

I remember Dawn really never was much of a drinker, and she never smoked. She was like the cool tomboy kind of friend who you could be buddies with. The real irony is that the first time I met her, she explained her last name this way: "rum" you drink, and "ford" you drive.

I hope you are all doing well and that we will always have positive memories of Dawn.

-Brian Herskovitz (April 7th, 2006)

Very sorry to hear of her death, as she’s crossed my mind a few times recently. Thanks for listening, and best of luck with your project.

-Brad Sorock (July 6th, 2007)

Dawn Lee Rumford, of Novi, Michigan, was involved in an auto accident on April 7th, 1991, at 3:20am. The accident took place on Ford Rd. & Southfield in Dearborn. She passed away at 6:09am that morning from "multiple injuries."

Dawn was born in Royal Oak, MI on November 5th, 1964. Her father was George Rumford, and her mother was Miriam Schlickt. She was 26 years old, and unmarried.