Dawn Marie Dematteis (Gosnell) aka "Nellie or Nells Bells"

Dawn "Nellie's" Laugh and Life Journey came to rest on March 17, 2021

She was 55 years young in Vandenburg Village Country Club.  "Up on the Hill Tops."

She was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, on August 4, 1965.  She was the only child of Don Alan Gosnell and Mary Lou Gosnell.  In 1968 the family moved to the Lompoc Valley.  In her younger years, she attended gymnastics and various dance classes, including jazz, contemporary, ballet and tap.  She absolutely LOVED to dance!  She attended local Lompoc schools and graduated from Cabrillo High School.  She continued her education at Santa Barbara Business College which took her into a 25-year career as a personal administrator and executive secretary in the defense industry for Santa Barbara Research Center.  She retired at 44 years young.  While in High School she met and fell in love with William "Todd" Dematteis, who later became her husband in 1990, and lifelong friend for over 42 years.

Dawn was a wonderful wife and a beautiful friend to all kinds of people.  She loved to dance, loved adventure, and had a spark for living life to the fullest.  Dawn only knew how to love fully and give her all, whether she knew you for years or mere minutes.  She would often literally give the shirt of her back, put a song in the jukebox and get to know who Nellie was… or the shoes off her feet to someone who needed it more.

She was a JOY!  Loving, Caring, Huge Hearted, Friend, Aunty Nellie.

Who Rocked This World!

Dawn had a passion for adventure and traveled numerous places around the world with her parents and husband Todd including Italy, Greece, Mexico, Hawaii, Bora Bora, Turkey, Egypt, Spain, Morocco, Austria, Switzerland, Zurich, the Caribbean and the Alps, plus many more local locations.  She loved the concerts, the outdoors, Big Sur was her God's Country, she loved meeting people, and Trippy Art and good music, loved it.  Later in life, she loved jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.  You would often find her soaking up the sun or doing yoga every chance she got.  She was our little Sun Goddess.

She was preceded in death by her mother Mary Lou Gosnell and her father Don Allen Gosnell.  She has left behind the love of her life Todd, many close friends who were considered her "Family" and her beloved pit bull Cisco Nabisco.

A private service and celebration of life will be held in the near future.