Ms. Tamara Dillon, 73, of Woodbury, Tennessee passed away on July 16, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee with her family and close friends at her side. She was born in Pontiac, Michigan on January 15, 1951. She was preceded in death by her parents, Clyde Donald Haley and Julia “June” Dillon Muszynski; and aunts, Christine “Cripp” Dillon and Rachel “Sack” Haley.
She is survived by her daughter, Shannon Schwerin of Michigan; grandchildren, Nicole and Gunnar Schwerin both of Michigan; brothers, Roger (Ann) Haley of Florida and Michael (Jennifer) Haley of Oregon; aunts, Martha Brandon of Nashville and Elizabeth “Toopa” Rowe of Florida; best friend, Jan Pedigo Todd of Murfreesboro; and numerous cousins and friends.
If you knew Tamara and the Dillon family, you knew immediately they were a tight-knit bunch. They loved one another, but they weren’t so laced up that they couldn’t or wouldn’t poke a little fun at each other. They were always ready to have a get-together, eat, and laugh. The Dillon name goes back a long way in the history of Cannon County. Tamara’s great-grandfather, Z.T. Dillon, had a street in town named after him, and the family still owns the property where his home was located on what is now known as Dillon Street.
Tamara was also blessed to be able to build her home on the original farm where her grandparents, Herbert and Gladys Francis, raised her mother, Julia, and her siblings. When her mother, aunts, and uncles grew up, all of them moved away from Cannon County, except for her aunts, Christine and Rachel. Christine loved Cannon County and, after her parents had sold the family farm, made it her life’s ambition to buy it back and live there. Tamara wound up building herself a cabin just up the hill from Christine’s house on the farm.
Julia moved to Michigan and became a registered nurse in psychiatric medicine. It must have made an indelible impression on Tamara because she became a psychiatric nurse too. She worked for 38 years caring for patients. Working in the psych nursing field, you have to have a different outlook and attitude. Dealing with people with a range of mental disorders could quickly lead to burnout or a disorder of your own. Tamara handled it all well and knew laughter was her best medicine. She always had a quick-witted retort when asked a question or confronted with a problem. Even so, she wasn’t thin-skinned. She could laugh at herself and laugh with other people when she was the butt of the joke.
She was very close with her brother, Roger, and her aunt, Elizabeth “Toopa” Rowe. She and Roger would often get together and make the rounds visiting all the nearby family. Toopa and Tamara were not too far apart in age, and it seemed like they were sisters at times. When Tamara was ready to see Toopa again, she and Christine would load up and head to Florida, but Tamara didn’t need an excuse to travel. If she had a spare day or two, she would zip up to Michigan to visit Shannon and the grandchildren or off to parts unknown with her friend, Jan. The travel bug had dug into her so deep she took a trip to Spain by herself once, experiencing the culture and scenery of Barcelona and Madrid. She shared her adventures and tales at the Dillon family’s July get-together at Christine’s farm, while also enjoying time reminiscing of the good ole days.
Another thing you could expect from the Dillon family and Tamara was a strong faith in God. Tamara was active with her church family at the Smith Grove Church of Christ. She took part in teaching classes for children, VBS, church outings, Bible study, and prayer groups. She and the minister, Al Bugg, had a common bond because they were raised in Michigan but had roots in Cannon County. They would often banter back and forth in class about “not being from here.” They were both still at home in Cannon County because they belonged here in their hearts. Yet, it was a piece of Tamara’s heart that kept calling her back to Michigan on trips.
She was a proud mother and grandmother. Often, she would brag about how well Shannon had done in her career or how Nicole and Gunnar were doing in school or extracurricular activities. It recharged her batteries to zip up to visit them and maybe see other family members while she was there. They weren’t immune from her having a little fun with them either. Many people commented on how she and Shannon sounded so much alike on the phone. So, Tamara decided to play a prank on Shannon’s friends. She pretended to be Shannon just to see how far she could go. Her fun-loving and caring spirit made her a unique character who made a lasting impression on her family and friends.
Tamara’s wish was to be cremated and have her cremains scattered on the family farm to continue to remain a part of Cannon County. She also wanted the family to hold a big party in her honor, which they will do at a later date.
Share memories and condolences with the family at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337. Because every life has a story.