John Paul Dawson

John Paul Dawson

August 17, 1943 - Dec. 16, 2023

AUSTIN, TX - John Paul Dawson, beloved husband, adored father, and cherished PopPop, passed away Saturday, December 16, 2023, in his sleep. He will be laid to rest alongside his wife of 50 years, Cheryl Bohannon Dawson.

John, born August 17, 1943, in a then-small town of Albany, Oregon, was the son of Paul and Ruth Dawson and brother to Julia. John and his older sister Julia lived a humble life on Walker Lane where dinner vegetables were grown in the garden and friendships were forever forged amidst the impromptu games played outside. Watching his parents' strong work ethic, John knew the value of working hard.

Beginning at the age of 5, John spent many summers in the fields, picking beans and strawberries. The money earned would pay for the new school clothes needed for fall. In his high school years, the beans and strawberries fell way to mint. Decades later, when passing a field, John would sniff into the air and proclaim, "Mmmm, mint". His boyhood summers also brought some o

John's favorite pastimes: running along the railroad tracks, swimming in the cool waters of the Willamette River, finding pickup games to play with kids who lived on Walker Lane, working alongside his Grandpa Beight in the garden, and playing with his cousins.

On Sundays, John faithfully attended White Spires Presbyterian church with his family. It was there that his faith was born, lasted a lifetime, and was used as a compass while navigating life.

John's faith was something lived, right to the end. In high school, sports played a large role in John's life. He was a star basketball player as well as football player. John graduated from West Union Albany High School in 1961. Traveling on a football scholarship, John attended Linfield College. University learning, however, did not come easily. Seeing John inside on a Friday night at the Linfield Library was not uncommon: he had to invest more time and effort than others just to keep pace academically. His love of sports and coaching is what ultimately drew John to pursue teaching. He transferred from Linfield College in McMinnville to Oregon College of Education in Monmouth for his bachelor's degree.

It is there that he would meet Cheryl when they were both dorm counselors on campus. John and Cheryl married in the spring of 1966 and soon after both began their teaching careers in the Portland area, Lake Oswego High School being the first place John taught.

In December 1968, he and Cheryl became the proud parents to baby Holly. In 1969, after applying and being offered a job overseas, John moved to Yokohama, Japan, where he taught High School social studies for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS). He and Cheryl immersed themselves in the local culture and befriended many Japanese people. Outside of the classroom, John served as an English teacher to Japanese students who needed to practice their newly acquired English.

In 1971, John's second daughter, Jennifer, was born, completing his happy little family of four, and the family transferred to Misawa, Japan. Life in mainland Japan was different from anything that John had ever known from his humble beginnings in Albany. But with each new experience, John treated it as the adventure it was. From the treks up north to the Ice Festivals in Hokkaido, to the Tokyo Cherry Blossom Festivals in the springtime, to the countless shrines and castles visited, John enjoyed the newness of what Japanese culture brought.

In 1975, John was offered a transfer to the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. For six years, he taught high school on the small restricted Naval Base referred to as Gitmo. Life in Gitmo was simple: work, church, coach, and go to the beach. It was in Gitmo that John became a certified SCUBA diver; learned how to sail a Sunfish boat; took Holly and Jenn fishing at the wharf; coached his daughters' T-Ball and baseball teams; joined the church choir; and taught Sunday School. At the beach, Easter mornings were celebrated with sunrise services and regular after-church potlucks at Windmill Beach were frequent. Navigating the Bay in a rented barrel boat to access a beach on Hospital Kay was always an adventure. Living in the Caribbean brought an immediate access to new cultures and countries.

For vacations, the family would travel to the islands of Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, and Haiti. It was in Haiti, that John felt a spiritual calling: he would financially help support the Baptist Haiti Mission.

In 1980, he traveled with students to Haiti for several days to actively work on a Mission trip. In 1981, John received a transfer to Okinawa, Japan, where he spent the next 23 years teaching and coaching Basketball and Cross Country. John began teaching at Kadena High School in its inaugural year. Over his tenure at KHS, John taught US History, Government, Foreign Policy, Economics, Psychology, and Eighth Grade Social Studies. Word quickly spread amongst the student body about this great social studies teacher named Mr. Dawson. Soon, John would have kids adjusting their schedules so that they could take yet another course being taught by him. As a cross country coach, Coach Dawson was equally as popular.

Known for instilling the idea of the "the race within" and beating your own time, he taught techniques that his runners used decades later when coaching their own athletes. After a decade into coaching Cross Country, John shared that one season he had 55 runners come out on the first day of practice. When asked, how many kids did you cut from the team? The answer was: none. All were welcome that wanted to participate.

As the son of a schoolteacher, John had a front row seat to observing teaching with compassion. His teaching, however, was not confined to curriculum nor the classroom. He engaged students in learning through participation of mock trials (Trial of World War I), mock elections in US election years, and debates.

He was a teacher who valued the thoughts expressed by his students. He encouraged kids to hone their viewpoints while still considering the viewpoints of others. At school, kids who needed someone to listen, always found an open door, a listening ear, and a loving heart in Mr. Dawson.

His classroom became a sanctuary for many kids who were seeking someone to just listen. For many years, he served as the sponsor for Teens for Christ, a student organized club for which there was a prevailing message: All were welcome.

Shortly before retirement, John vocalized a personal goal: He wanted to run the Naha Marathon when he turned 60. It would be the work ethic that he knew all his life that would serve as his greatest asset in accomplishing this goal. In his final year teaching, John trained for and successfully completed the Naha Marathon in Okinawa with Cheryl cheering wildly for him at the finish line.

In retirement, John kept busy. He served Cheryl, the Master Gardener, as the resident yard boy; worked the Aloha United Methodist Church food pantry, The Lord's Cupboard; assisted AUMC's outreach for homeless families, Family Bridge; facilitated Bible study & Prayer Group; helped his sister, Julia, as they tended to their Mother battling dementia; visited with fellow DODDS retirees; visited with friends and family; ran; attended Portland Trailblazer games; and hosted his daughters and their families in the summertime for extended visits.

Most of the joys John found in life didn't cost a thing: walking with Cheryl to the jetty at Rockaway beach; inner tubing down the Willamette River in the summer; playing games with Jenn; sharing a love of photography with Holly; belting out the song Home Run with the his three beloved grandchildren; talking with friends and neighbors; running amongst the cane fields to the sea wall in Okinawa; picking warm, sun-ripened blackberries until his fingertips were stained purple and scratched by brambles; and accompanying his beloved dog, Roman, on walks. Even during John's struggles within the grasp of dementia, his kindness never faltered. John was still John: his eyes still twinkled, his smile still reassured, his laugh still hearty, his faith as strong as ever.

In the final days of earthly life, he looked into Holly's eyes and simply said, "The best days are coming."

In his Heavenly Home, John now joins his beloved wife, Cheryl Bohannon Dawson; his sister, Julia; his parents, Paul, and Ruth; his favorite cousin, Anne Proebstel; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

In his earthly wake, the legacy of John Dawson is a multitude of people who simply remember and were inspired by his kindness.

The family requests that gifts in John's memory be made to Mercy Corps, an organization he'd supported for decades.