Tanya Marie Vaughn

Mrs. Tanya Marie Vaughn devoted wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, confidant, and master ballroomer, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2024, with her beloved husband by her side. Tanya was born on November 30, 1954, in Saginaw, Michigan, to Dorothy and Garfield Lawson Sr.

Tanya was blessed to find her forever love early, and wed her high-school sweetheart, James, on March 17, 1973, during a snowstorm that once completed, accumulated 21”. Their love, like the snow that day, was a sight to behold, creating three beautiful children and lasting memories along the way. Throughout their fifty years together, Tanya and James shared many memories including the time she waited in the car for twelve hours while James interviewed, was hired, and began employment at Dow Corning. Tanya continued to show her dedication to James throughout their lives together and received endless love, support, and care from him until the end. 

Tanya was a woman of many talents and used her resources to better her community and those around her through her advocacy. Tanya, along with her mother, provided much-needed counsel and refuge to the women of the original Underground Railroad, the first freestanding emergency domestic violence shelter in the state. Her ability to develop sincere connections with others led her to pursue employment in healthcare as a certified nurse care assistant. She was employed at two area hospitals, Saginaw County and Saginaw Osteopathic where she served as Union Rep for Local 79 until the hospital’s closure in 1986.

With an innate ability to connect with others, Tanya was able to cultivate numerous lasting relationships in any space she entered, including Welland Drive, her home of 50 years. Tanya viewed her neighbors as family and built relationships with them rooted in love, respect and support. Her Welland Drive family serves as an extension of a familial bond and was the epitome of “it takes a village.”

Tanya was often called upon by the family to make her famed macaroni and cheese and banana pudding for events which she did with no hesitation. She could often be found making massive pans of either, simultaneously wrecking the kitchen in the process. However, her sous chef, James, was always by her side to return the kitchen to its pristine condition. Alongside her acclaim in the kitchen, Tanya was also famous for her love of Macy’s. She frequented the store so much she became known as a “regular.” With this special status, Tanya was known by name by some sales associates and given advance notice of sales and specialty items. Oftentimes her purchases were so extensive she would need assistance from package pickup to load her items into her vehicle. 

In between her trips to Macy’s, Tanya earned her Ballroom Dancing certification in 2001, igniting an unforeseen passion. Ballroom Tanya, (aka Boss) honed her craft over the years and cofounded the ballroom group “TAMHLL,” which held instructional classes at Buena Vista Community Center. In 2005, they held a magnificent event for their first graduating class at Candlelight Banquet Center. Tanya and Leroy continued their classes and choreographed routines for Father/Daughter dances at Thompson Middle School, weddings, Gamma Kappa Kudos Winter Balls, and Ivylette Youth Group Balls. Ballroom Tanya gained notoriety in the community and traveled to Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Grand Rapids and beyond, for events on a regular basis. She continued to take advanced level ballroom and step classes as she always believed in further advancement of her craft. They held multiple events in Saginaw for their students and other ballroomers that garnered support statewide. Events were held at Buena Vista Community Center, Holiday Inn, and Helen M. Pierrie Building; with the forming of S.O.F.T. (Saginaw, Okemos, Flint, Texas) they held an annual dance at the Kochville Veterans Hall and Tanya ensured her entire family was present and serving for a seamless event.

Tanya was a confidant to many and believed in providing fact-based advice. She enjoyed event planning as she had an eye for detail and a small warehouse (the garage) of supplies that decorated numerous events. A Woman of excellence and a DIVA at her core!

Waiting to welcome Tanya into eternal bliss are her parents Garfield Sr. and Dorothy Lawson; stepfather, Robert X. Culter; one sister, Gloria Belton; three brothers, Lorenzo Dallas, Louis Dallas, and Garfield Lawson Jr; mother-in-law, Elnora Vaughn; sisters-in-law, Lillian Jackson and Shauntel Vaughn; and her best friends, Pat Walker, Alma Cooper, and Lucille Hicks.

Tanya leaves to carry her legacy, her devoted husband of 51 glorious years, James I. Vaughn Sr., her “favorite son” James Vaughn Jr., two daughters, Dorothy A. Vaughn and Patricia K. Vaughn all of Saginaw, Michigan; daughter-in-love, LaShawn Vaughn, and son-in-love, Jordan Bady- Parnell both of Saginaw, Michigan; eight grandchildren, JazMonique Jones , Saginaw, Michigan, Simone Vaughn, Troy, Michigan, Shelby Vaughn, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Sidney Vaughn, Bremerton, Washington, James III, Jasmine, Rriana and Stephon Vaughn, of all Saginaw, Michigan; five great-grandchildren, Heaven, Brayden, J’Sai, Jermanii and Jireh; three sisters, Marva Barnett, Dorothy Dallas-Walker, and Patricia Pleasant; one brother, Charles Dallas; sisters-in-law, Deborah Lawson, Mattie Taylor, Rosie (Jerry) Chapman, Sharon Walker, Beverly (Jerome) Holiday and Cynthia (Darrell) Morris; two brothers-in-law, Charles and Richard Vaughn; numerous nieces, nephews, a host of cousins, other relatives, extended family/friends, and the ballroom dancing community; special relatives, Barbara Jean (Norris) Brown, Michelle McMath, and DeAndre Lawson; special friends; Herbert Williams and Denise Doster.

Tanya Marie Vaughn believed in building unbreakable bonds with others, none of which could be severed in life or death.