William ‘Bill’ Dawson

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — William “Bill” Dawson, 88, passed away Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, at Haven Hospice in Gainesville, Fla.

Bill is survived by his wife, Maureen; a son, Stewart “Mac” Dawson, and his wife, Kara, and grandsons, Danny and Drew of Gainesville, Fla.; a son, Paul Dawson, and his wife, Kathleen, and grandchildren, Sam and Maddie of Northbrook; a son, William “Bill” Dawson, and his wife, Lori, and grandchildren, Katie and Mac of Houston, Texas; cousins Tom and Jane Hopkins of Rochester, N.Y., Arch and Judy Hopkins of Granville, and Bob and Terri Hopkins of Portland, Ore.; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Bill was born Aug. 9, 1931, in Muscatine, Iowa, to Agnes and Ralph Dawson. Soon after his birth, Agnes, was stricken with rheumatoid arthritis — a condition that would leave her bedridden for the rest of her life. Bill was 13 months old when he went to live at the Hopkins family farm in Granville. He grew up on the farm, cared for by his cousin, Joel Hopkins, and great aunts, Cara Hopkins and Mary Donovan, and during his teen years, Mildred (Joel’s wife). When Joel started his family, his sons were like Bill’s younger brothers. Bill provided care for his mother until her death in 1979.

Bill received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Eastern Illinois University in 1953. He served as a teacher in the Army in Poitiers, France, for two years. Following his Army service, Bill moved to Chicago and began a career in life insurance underwriting. He joined Allstate Life Insurance Company six months after its formation in 1957 and was transferred to Allstate’s Menlo Park office in 1961. That same year he married Maureen “Mo” on Sept. 2. They lived on the West Coast until promotions at Allstate brought them back to Chicago in 1965.

Bill and Mo raised their three sons in Round Lake. Their home became the perfect place to host family, work and Quaker friends (and swim team cookouts). Thanksgiving and Fourth of July were regular big events on the lake. This suited Bill well because he truly enjoyed being with people. He was known for his wit, bright smile and good nature.

The family moved to Libertyville for the boys’ high school years. Though still hosting Thanksgiving, these years centered on attending high school athletics and the community of swim team families.

Bill retired from Allstate in 1996. He was widely recognized in the industry for his technical expertise and beloved again for his humor and warmth. During his almost 40-year career, he handled the most complex cases. At Allstate, his colleagues were also close friends.

Bill and Mo fully enjoyed retirement. They moved to Ashland, Ore., where Bill volunteered for fire watch and hiked the mountains around their home. He took classes at Southern Oregon University’s Life Long Learning Institute, enjoyed 15 years of theater at Oregon Shakespeare and made many friends. He continued to consult as a life underwriter until 2007.

Living in the West fed one of Bill’s lifelong endeavors — The Driving Vacation. A master of the open road (though not always a master of the gas gauge), he loved to go on extended road trips. In the early years, the vacations were done in a VW bus. Though the vehicle of choice changed in retirement, the adventures did not. Bill and Mo have visited all of the lower 48 states. They moved to Gainesville, Fla., Thanksgiving 2011 to be close to family.

Bill was preceded in death by his mother, Agnes of Princeton; a cousin, Joel Hopkins of Granville; and his siblings, Patricia Midtskog of Woodenville, Wash., Don Dawson of Baltimore, Md., and Jack Dawson of Xenia, Ohio.

A Celebration of Life will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Lake Forest Friends Meeting in Lake Forest. Please contact family for details.

Interment will be at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, in the Granville Cemetery in Granville.

Please remember Alz Place of Gainesville, Fla., and Haven Hospice if considering a memorial in Bill’s name.