Fred Dawson's Obituary
My dad Fred passed away overnight. He had cancer for quite some time. Over the years there were treatments and the resulting weakness that made it hard for him to get around. But he never stopped living life. Just a few months ago he and my step mother Mary Jane made a difficult trek out from Maryland to see the family. He never quit.
That is one of the traits I got from my dad… to never give up. He also taught me to be honest and work hard. I might have picked up a couple bad habits too: I say “yep” a lot, don’t show a lot of emotion, and that scene from “A Christmas Story” where the dad is trying to fix the furnace and the family can hear him through the vents… let just say it’s familiar.
I will remember him coaching little league, our family trips to the cabin, teaching me to golf, race car driving at Sears Point, and trips to the emergency room (unrelated to the previous activities). More than anything, I appreciate his unwavering support. As a kid I tried just about every sport and he was always there to encourage me. When I needed a job in college and between TV gigs he let me work in the service department of his cash register business. And to this day I’m still surprised he agreed to help pay for me to transfer to USC when I had shown little academic focus up to that point. Fortunately, it turned out to be money well spent.
He was most certainly a man who loved his grandkids and great-grandkids. He knew it was difficult for us to get back east. So he and Mary Jane would come out regularly. They’d travel for the holidays, performances, or special events. And the kids loved to see him. It was really difficult to tell the girls this morning of his passing. While it was expected, it still hit them very hard.
I’m also grateful that he brought Mary Jane into our lives. They were so fortunate to find each other later in life. They spent 30+ happy years together and she has been a terrific addition to our family.
He was a good father, a great grandfather, a good husband to Mary Jane, and a good man. We will miss him very much.
(Written by Greg Dawson)
What’s your fondest memory of Fred?
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Describe a day with Fred you’ll never forget.
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