Wes Dawn; Makeup Artist

Wes Dawn, a makeup artist who earned two Emmy award nominations for his work, has died in Los Angeles. He was 51.

Dawn died Aug. 21 of complications of asthma, his wife, Sharon Dawn, said.

A native of Los Angeles, he was raised in Southern California and herded cattle during his high school days in Mariposa County, Calif. He served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1962 and in the mid-1960s, began an apprenticeship as a make-up artist. His father, Jack Dawn, was a pioneer in the field.

Dawn’s film credits include “The Hunt for Red October” (1990), “Carrie” (1976), “A Boy and His Dog” (1975) and the three most recent “Star Trek” films. He was nominated for Emmys for his work in the miniseries “The Winds of War,” which aired in 1983, and “War and Remembrance,” which aired in 1988.

His hobby was racing sports cars. He participated in dozens of amateur races in the United States and England as a longtime member of the Sports Car Club of America.

Dawn moved to a ranch in Bend, Ore., in 1988 and continued to work as a makeup artist. At the time of his death he was working on a feature film called “Riders on the Storm.”

He is survived by his wife of six years; daughters Erin Dawn of El Paso and Anna Dawn Miller of Mexico City; and mother, Marla Gitterman of Laguna Niguel.

A memorial service was held Sunday and arrangements were made by the Valley Funeral Home in Burbank. Donations can be made in Dawn’s name to the Asthma Program of the American Lung Assn. or to the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America.