Remembering Dawn Stewart Massey And Mike Montgomery

Dawn Massey was an indefatigable supporter of her hometown of Lithonia, and Ranger Mike Montgomery knew Arabia Mountain perhaps better than anyone. 

It’s always hard losing loved ones. We at the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance recently lost two powerful individuals who weren’t just close work associates, they were also friends to us. We’re talking about Dawn Stewart Massey, who passed unexpectedly on August 23—and Mike Montgomery, who not a month later on September 17 also transitioned. In this Field Note, we look back on the lives and contributions of these two great souls who left their mark on Arabia Mountain.

Dawn Stewart Massey

Born in Lithonia in 1955, Dawn adored her hometown, where the Stewarts had resided for generations. She owned and managed the Lithonia Woman’s Club, historic Camellia Hall (one of the oldest buildings in Lithonia), and the Yellow Brick House assisted living facility. “She could’ve gone anywhere and done anything,” said Dawn’s daughter, Rachael Auld. “She chose to stay in her hometown and dedicate her life to her community, to making it a better place.”

To that point, Dawn was never idle. She was actively involved in Lithonia City Council meetings, the Downtown Development Authority, the Historic Preservation Community as well as the Rock Chapel Cemetery Association. She was passionate about preservation, helping to restore out-of-pocket the Lithonia Woman’s Club (completed in 1928) and the antebellum mansion Camellia Hall (built in 1856). 

For more than 30 years, Dawn also ran the Yellow Brick House senior living facility. “We grew up in the Yellow Brick House and spent a lot of time there with her,” said Auld about her and her three siblings’ childhood. “She was such a capable person. And as our grandparents used to say, she made sure there were no flies on us.” Dawn’s grandfather, Dr. Thomas W. Stewart, was one of the last horse-and-buggy doctors in DeKalb County, practicing medicine from the 1920s through the ’50s from the basement of his Main Street home, which later became the family-owned business, the Yellow Brick House.

Dawn was also an unflagging fan of the National Heritage Area, attending and supporting many of our events, both behind the scenes and as an audience member. Her family will be throwing a “Celebration of Life” on Sunday, October 13 from 1:30-3:30pm at the Lithonia Amphitheater. All are welcome.

Mike Montgomery

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Mike Montgomery, “Ranger Mike” as we called him, knew Arabia Mountain like the back of his hand. Probably better. Born and raised in a suburb of Minneapolis, Mike grew up in a family of eight children. He was both the jokester and the “poet laureate” of his clan and he developed a love of nature from a young age. “Our parents were always taking us on nature hikes,” recalled Mike’s sister Laurie Olsen. “They’d take us to Minnesota along the Mississippi River, to Minnehaha Falls or around the many lakes.”

Mike was a true Renaissance man. He earned his MA and PhD at the University of Arizona and went on to write poetry collections, screenplays and fiction and taught these subjects for more than 35 years in Arizona and Georgia. Then one day he “accidentally” hiked into Arabia Mountain, which he’d never heard of. “And since then, he was there every hour of the day discovering all it had to offer,” said Laurie. Mike volunteered many hours around the mountain, oftentimes bringing his daughter Ada with him. He was known to go off-trail to pick up trash or help with trail maintenance. 

In 2023, Mike officially joined the Arabia Alliance team as one of our first interpretive rangers. As a ranger, Mike went above and beyond, leading hikes and tours, doing his own research, writing Field Notes (based on his blog called The Outcropper), and sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of the area, its natural and human histories. His presence on the mountain is irreplaceable and will be missed.

A memorial hike was held for Mike at Arabia Mountain on September 20. His ashes will be buried by a tree at Honey Creek Woodlands. Laurie says, “He will have a peaceful view of the land he loved.”

Please consider donating to the Dawn Stewart Massey Memorial Fund or the Mike Montgomery Memorial Fund on our website.