Dawn Michelle Calvert Joseph

Dawn Michelle Calvert Joseph, lovingly known to her friends as Michelle, was born on March 25, 1972, to Don Calvert and Sandy Hargrove Bunting. She passed away on June 19, 2025, at the age of 53. 

Michelle spent most of her life devoted to teaching—a role in which she poured her heart into every child she encountered. She loved her young students like a second mother, always nurturing, guiding, and encouraging them with patience and care. However, her most cherished role in life was that of being a mother to her two beloved sons, a role she embraced with deep love, pride, and devotion. 

A proud cheerleader at Little Rock Central High School, Michelle later continued her spirit and school pride as a Boll Weevil cheerleader at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Her school spirit and team loyalty carried on throughout her life, as did the friendships she formed during those meaningful years. 

Michelle was a loyal and dedicated friend, known for her warmth, kindness, and quiet strength. Though she often came across as a soft-spoken southern girl with a sweet accent, those who knew her best could always count on her for a perfectly timed, insightful, and often witty remark that could put any situation into perspective in just a few words. 

Michelle is preceded in death by her parents, Don Calvert and Sandy Hargrove Bunting as well as her loving stepfather, Dave Bunting. She is survived by her two sons, Logan and Collin, and by Tim Joseph, who stood by her side with love and devotion. 

She is also survived by her younger brother, Chris Spencer, and two sisters, Shaun Lampkin and Kim Calvert, along with her stepmother Fran Calvert, and her Uncle Stephen Harcrow all of whom she loved dearly. 

Michelle will be remembered for her grace, her strength, and the deep love she gave so freely to all who knew her.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, June 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM at Smith Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct. Little Rock, AR. Michelle will be laid to rest next to her father at Oakland Cemetery in Warren, AR following the service. The family has invited anyone who would like to attend, to lunch at Monticello Church of Christ following the burial.