Dawn Marie Resling

Dawn Marie Resling, 73, of Golden, Colorado, died on April 15, 2026, after fighting pancreatic cancer with the same relentless courage she brought to every chapter of her life.

Born January 2, 1953, in Illinois, Dawn grew up along the river, where she and her sister Sue spent their first five years of school together in a one-room schoolhouse. She loved the water so completely that her swimsuit would be worn to a rag by each summer’s end. As a teenager, she worked at the family newspaper, helping to get each edition printed, folded, and ready for the mail. She was popular in high school, did well academically, and went on to the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where she met the father of her son, Michael. She worked full time during college, but after two years trying to support herself entirely, she could no longer afford to continue. With $50 to her name, she enlisted in the Air Force, and her life began to expand exponentially.

She enlisted as a laboratory technician and rose to Staff Sergeant before finishing her degree and earning her commission through the Deserving Airmen’s Commissioning Program. As a Captain in the 302nd Airlift Wing, she served as a Logistics Readiness Officer in the Mission Support Group. As a Major, she was selected to command the 302nd Logistics Support Squadron — becoming the very first female Squadron Commander in the Air Force. As a Lieutenant Colonel, she served as a Disaster Support Officer with FEMA. As a Full Colonel, Dawn was selected as the Senior Contracting Officer in Baghdad, responsible for contracting for the entire armed forces in country. She was in Iraq for a total of 535 days, serving her country tirelessly in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Over thirty-eight years with the Air Force and Air Force Reserves, Dawn deployed to Japan, Germany, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. She survived numerous rocket attacks in the Middle East, was a passenger on a C-130 transport struck by an RPG, and was once injured jumping from a helicopter carrying 57 pounds of gear and weapons — more than half her 105-pound body weight. She was relentless. She never gave up. Never.

Alongside her military career, Dawn served in civil service for the General Services Administration and HUD, and as a contracting officer at Rocky Flats and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, among other roles. She managed large-scale cleanup at a nuclear site and wrote policy at HUD, translating law into the rules by which the agency ran.

Dawn retired three full times and returned to work each time — most recently at PTech, where she taught small businesses how to win government contracts. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Aviation Historical Society. She was, as everyone who knew her agreed, the hardest-working person in history.

Dawn ran many marathons, including the annual Armed Services races, where she led formations of Marines, and she loved running the trails on North Table Mountain. She played golf purely for the joy of it, never wanting to keep score. She bought her Golden home when it was in rough shape and lovingly restored it between deployments, taking pride in every improvement.

In 2021, Dawn met Ronald James “Jim” McLaughlin, and the two became friends. Before their first real date, she cancelled unexpectedly; Jim assumed cold feet, but Dawn was not feeling well and would soon be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She offered him every way out. He refused. Neither was willing to lose what had become something more, and a second chance at love took root despite the diagnosis. They were married February 8, 2024, and were inseparable to the end. Dawn even set aside her well-earned reservations about flying to join Jim in his two experimental planes — the two often flying to some small town just for a quick lunch.

Dawn battled pancreatic cancer for nearly three years, surviving far longer than anyone had predicted, and a year beyond what her doctors said was the outer limit. She was relentless in seeking the best treatments available, and no matter how terrible they made her feel, she forged ahead, living life, and even insisted on cooking beautiful meals for Jim. She was generous to the end.

Those who knew her describe her as tough as nails and, in the same breath, as a loyal and compassionate friend, an intent listener, a generous soul and a brilliant mind. She was fearless. She was a great mom and “Grammy” to her son and granddaughters and she loved Jim’s grandchildren as her own. She loved traveling and driving on long car trips.

Dawn is survived by her husband, Jim McLaughlin; her son, Michael (Amanda), and granddaughters Alexandra and Evelyn; her brother, Scott Hagen; and her sisters, Susan Hartzel (Kenny) and Donna [Hanson] (Larry).