The Dunaway/Cornwell family is sad to announce that Michael E. “Mike” Dunaway, 65, of Wooster passed away on Friday, October 20, 2023 at MetroHealth in Cleveland, OH.
Mike was born February 17, 1958 in Connellsville, PA, the son of Harold and Betty (Maddas) Dunaway. He married Catherine “Cathy” Smailes in 1980. She survives. Mike was raised in Dunbar, PA and was a 1976 graduate of Connellsville Area High School. He attended Otterbein College, Westerville, OH, earning a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1981. Mike was a loving husband to Cathy, a wonderful and supportive father to his children, Shauna Lynn Cornwell (Jeremy Cornwell) and Marisa Anne Dunaway, and a playful “Papa” to his grandsons Cameron and Milo Cornwell, all of Wooster. Also a part of Mike’s loving family is his mother Betty Dunaway; father Harold Dunaway (dec.); sisters Tina Hudock (Todd Hudock) and Debbie Litman (Brian Litman); a brother, Brian Dunaway (Tara Dunaway), and many in-laws, nieces, and nephews.
Mike’s life centered around his joy of music as well as his faith and family. In his youth, Mike belonged to the Fayette Singing Boys, a group which toured some of the Western U.S. states, and “Ecclasia”, a faith-based singing group. As an adult, Mike was chosen to direct the Greater Connellsville Community Chorus, Connellsville, as well as Shenandoah’s Community Chorus, Sarahsville, OH, in later years. Mike served as a soloist and choir director for St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Dunbar, and later at Norwood United Methodist Church, Marietta, OH. He especially enjoyed singing with his daughters.
Mike taught choir at the middle and high school levels, first in Sarahsville, then in Marietta. His choirs, including a show choir, were well-known throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley, winning numerous awards at local, state, and national levels during his tenure. Mike also directed many of the high school’s musicals, gave private voice lessons, and was the lead vocalist in two local bands. He was chosen as an Honored Teacher by an Honored Graduating Senior for over 25 consecutive years and was also nominated for Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Mike was beloved by his students who respectfully and affectionately called him “D”.
Mike enjoyed traveling, socializing with friends and family, and cheering on his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.
Memorial services will be held at a later date.
McIntire, Bradham, & Sleek Funeral Home, 216 E. Larwill St., Wooster, is assisting the family.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favorite musical organization, the Wooster United Methodist Church, or a charity of your choice in his memory.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.mcintirebradhamsleek.com.
He had a huge impact on so many, loved my so many! He was truly a great man and will be missed by so many! Hugs to the entire Dunaway family!
Kathy and Marissa, we are so sorry for your loss. We never had a chance to get to know Michael, but can tell, from his obituary, that he was someone we would have liked to know.
We are praying for you and your family in this time of grief.
Sending you hugs,
David & Beth Kail
My heart is broken for you all. Mr. Dunaway was a huge inspiration, and a big reason I went into teaching. As the current choir director at Marietta High School, I can tell you that his legacy is still very much alive. I had a conversation with a student about Mr. Dunaway just the other day. They had him as a teacher at Phillips. His impact on this world, goes on! Love and prayers to all of you.
I’d been dreading this for a long time now. Mr. Dunaway was the one teacher that actually made going to school worth doing. He was a good director, singer, role model, and just an all-around wonderful, wonderful man. My thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to his awesome wife Cathy, their beautiful daughters Shauna and Marissa, his son-in-law, and his two adorable grandsons. RIP, my old friend. Like the song says, we had joy, we had fun, and we had seasons in the sun.
Beyond heart broken. What a wonderful time team teaching with Mike over the years. Many laughs over the years. My thoughts and prayers go out to Cathy, Marisa, Shawna and family. May you find peace and comfort in the memories that you shared. Peace be with you.
D was one of the best.
He was a wonderful soul.
My heart goes out to his family.
May he rest in piece.
My heart is broken. Mr. Dunaway was an amazing teacher!! He touched many kids lives. He made school an amazing experience. I will never forgot all of our high school show choir trips and the smile that he always carried. His children was his world then later in life his grandchildren. Thoughts and prayers for you all.
Dear Mr. Dunaway! What patience and love you had for your students. Thank you for all the joy you and Cathy created while sharing your love of music, dance, and theatre. Thank you for taking Mid-Ohio Valley kids out to see National tours and new cities. Your disco partnering and Newsies harmonies and choreo lives
on in many of the students I’ve taught ❤️ You were always our favorite.
Worked with Mike several years at MMS and was a Choir parent. He worked tirelessly in the Choir program for Marietta City School District.
He was loved by his students and had a kind, gentle spirit wearing a huge smile.
My sympathy to Kathy, Shauna, and Marisa.
Mike was loved!
He was such a great guy❤️ He sang at Jamie and I’s wedding. I am deeply sorry for your families loss❤️ sending hugs and prayers to you all.
My heart is broken. This can’t be real. D gave me the confidence to sing and provided so many life lessons. The Dunaway home was my second home. I remember many trips in his purple van or the numerous times running to the house to pick something up and even one time picking up Kathy. He was passionate about music and those who he taught. I’m so sorry Marissa, Shauna and Kathy.
I got the privilege of knowing Mike from being a neighbor and babysitting for the girls .. you couldn’t ask for nicer people .. he was never my teacher but definitely a friend .. prayers for your family …
Cathy, Marisa and Shauna, my deepest condolences to you. Mike was such a wonderful teacher, loved by all. He always was pleasant and kind. I am so sorry for your loss.
Cathy & family: Just a note to let you know we will be praying for you. We knew “Mr D” & know he is in a better place. All of the comments confirm how wonderful he was. Judy & I share those feelings and fond memories. We’ve missed you too, Cathy, and do call on us if you are even close to Marietta. ☮️❤️
Mr Dunaway was my absolutely favorite teacher. So many great memories over the years – Premier, high school musicals, etc. He was always kind to people and cared so much about all of his students. He gave so many students a purpose and friend group through the years. A special man. My condolences to his family.
Words can’t express my sincere condolences for the loss of this amazing human. He gave to all of us students in not only his time, but his energy and pure love of music. We were all incredibly fortunate to have had “D” in our lives. We were the lucky ones.
Mr. Dunaway, you cared so much about us and how our lives could be influenced by music and singing. I’ll never forget being excited to sing “Carol The Bells” every Christmas concert!
I am so sorry for your loss. When Beth called to let us know
My mind was filled with many memories of the musicals, Premiere, and choir performances my girls were involved in. What a blessing Mike was in our girls lives. Thank you for sharing him with the Marietta community Cathy.
I’ve just been thinking about Mr. Dunaway because I joined a choir again, 23 years after Marietta chorale. He had a great way with us and taught me a lot, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much of it was still in my brain after all these years. A sign of a great teacher.
Cathy, Shauna, and Marissa.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Have comfort knowing Mike has left a positive influence in this world and in all the lives he has touched in so many different ways. Mike was a blessing to all of us, musically, spiritually, and as a role model for many. His memories will be with us forever. Love you all.
My heart aches today for Mikes family. He truly was the “Music Man”. I loved reading the tributes and smiling at the many lives he has influenced. What more could a teacher ask for?
I was blessed to be in his choir at Norwood Church. What fun we had. Ruth Hollister used to say Norwoods choir was small but we were better than any choir she heard on tv ! Love to you for those special memories.
My condolences to Cathy and the entire Dunaway family. Mr. Dunaway was a wonderful man and teacher. He selflessly gave so much to his students and community; exposing many of us to a world of music and performance that we would not have otherwise known. His legacy lives on through the many lives of the people who knew and loved him. I will always remember him for his patience, understanding, and gentle good humor.
I’m sitting here in a parking lot crying. Jena just told me the news. D wasn’t just a teacher to us. He was a friend, a counselor, a sounding board, a parent, a big brother, or whatever else we needed. Each year we had 400+ 6th-12th graders in the choir program and each one needed something different. Some were abused and some just had a bad day. Music helped, and D was there for us all. He was my big brother in many ways. Sometimes my Dad when I needed it. I ended up working with him for 13 years and so he ended up being my best friend and the best man in my wedding. We lost track of each other which makes this even harder. He was such a huge part of my life. 8 to 15 hr days, every lunch, every laugh about what happened that day with kids parents or school admin issues. Every drive for 13 yrs between the middle school and HS. Without him I would not have met Jena Ulmer. I wouldn’t have these 4 kids of mine. God put him in Marietta when we all needed him. Thats when the school population was the biggest and there was a need for someone with his musical talents but also D had soooo much patience with us all. I will never forget the long talk in your driveway when you pushed me to get off my butt and finally propose to Jena. I needed that. I needed you. I don’t have siblings. I had D. I will miss you D and will always be crushed we didn’t get back together for 1 more lunch. That’s going to be hard to live with.
Michael was blessed with wonderful, well-liked parents, and many of the tributes to him can be traced to them. I knew them well, through my own parents. His father, Sonny, worked for my father at the West Penn Power Company, Connellsville, Pa. His mother, Betty, had connections with an enormously popular, massive store called Pechin in Dunbar, Pa. It was my parents’ favorite place to buy groceries, dine on 19-cent hamburgers, drink nickel cups of coffee, and where any meal was less than a dollar. I remember Michael’s parents’ pride when he graduated with a music degree from Otterbein College, and began his journey to impact positively thousands of young people and others. My condolences from Tijeras, New Mexico.
To say that Mr D impacted all of our lives is an understatement to say the least. He touched so many lives that if you knew him you loved him. He was more than a teacher or director he was a friend and supporter of all the kids in his class. He will be missed dearly but I am blessed to have known him and to say that he touched my life
I graduated from CAHS with Mike. He was very well liked and a very talented individual. I was in choir with him and in the high school plays with him, but I did not have as big a part as he did. He had a great sense of humor and a beautiful voice. Years later I had the opportunity to reconnect with him through the Connellsville Community Chorus. He touched many people and will most certainly be missed. My sincerest sympathy to his wife, children, and family. God Bless and watch over all of you through this very difficult time and may he give you strength.
When I look back on my four years of high school, my favorite memories exist because of Mr. Dunaway. The musicals, choir, and of course, Premiere. He was a wonderful, kind man, and encouraged us all to be our best, and to have fun doing so. He had an endless amount of patience, a great sense of humor, and was by far, my
favorite teacher. All my love to Cathy and his entire family.
My heart is broken. I loved Mr. D more than he will ever know. He was more than a teacher. He was a friend, an inspiration, the push I needed to do my best and try new things, a role model, a shoulder when I needed it, and a father figure to us all. He showed us all how music can bring EVERYONE together regardless of their background. He taught us how to see the beauty in everyone nd everything around us and helped me make valuable friendships that I otherwise might not have made. Even though i graduated from high school 26 years ago, I have never forgotten him and the wonderful years I spent in choir, premier, and school musicals. Heaven gained a beautiful soul. Praying for the Dunaway family during this difficult time.
I’m so thankful to have known Mr Dunaway. He nurtured our interests and talents and made music so fun. I have so many happy memories of choir, retreats, musicals, competitions, and our choir trips! I talk about it all the time to my own middle and high schoolers. It was the best part of high school, thanks to D.
And I think now that I’m a grown up, I can more appreciate how hard that must have been for him and Cathy, when their family was so young; to dedicate so much time and energy to all of us. I’m grateful. I hope all of your happy memories are a comfort to you, and I’m so sorry for your loss.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Mike. Sad to hear of his passing. I knew Mike from our Dunbar Boro Elementary days all the way thru highschool graduation at CAHS. His great smile always lit up the room when he arrived. Always kind and caring, he was a wonderful person. The entire Class of 1976 sends our sympathy! May God Bless and RIP Mike….we will miss you.
Sending so much love to Cathy and Shauna and Marissa and all your loved ones and all the beautiful lives Mike was a part of. Reading these tributes is such a wonderful statement to his love, patience, kindness, caring, and love for music. So deeply touching to see what an impact one person can have. I had the privilege of working for Mike and Cathy doing choreography for so many years- so many camps and long weekends and memories- and he and Cathy were always so fun and positive. Mike taught and led everyone from his heart- and it shows in these wonderful comments. I have a firm faith and no doubt he is enjoying seeing his impact and cresting THE best music and shows in Heaven. And we are all blessed to have known him- and his amazing family!
Sending so much love to Cathy and Shauna and Marissa and all your loved ones and all the beautiful lives Mike was a part of. Reading these tributes is such a wonderful statement to his love, patience, kindness, caring, and love for music. So deeply touching to see what an impact one person can have. I had the privilege of working for Mike and Cathy doing choreography for so many years- so many camps and long weekends and memories- and he and Cathy were always so fun and positive. Mike taught and led everyone from his heart- and it shows in these wonderful comments. I have a firm faith and no doubt he is enjoying seeing his impact and creating THE best music and shows in Heaven. And we are all blessed to have known him- and his amazing family!
I studied Music Education with Mike at Otterbein. He was part of our “family”. Cathy was a sorority sister. I’m so glad to see that he was such a great music teacher and married his precious Cathy! My condolences to Cathy and the rest of the family. May the Lord comfort you all. Rest in peace, Mike.
Love,
Sue Abraham Nguyen
My love goes to all that are mourning Mr. Dunaway, especially Cathy and the girls. I was just telling my son about how we kept telling restaurants it was his birthday at every meal on one of our school trips. He was patient, kind and so gracious with his time and talent. Cathy, thank you for sharing your family and dear husband with us. I am a better person having known him and the world will miss his beautiful spirit.
Sorry to hear about your passing cousin. We had great times when we were young. I enjoyed visiting you when I was working over in Parkersburg. God bless your family.