William E. Dawson

Shushan  William Edward Dawson, 88, died Sunday, February 21, at Albany Medical Center.  He was the beloved husband of Corinne (Kit) Dekoster Dawson.

Born Tuesday, August 16, 1921 in Bergenfield, NJ, he was the son of the late Richard E. Dawson, Sr. and Emily vonWeiderhold Dawson.

Bill graduated from Tenafly High School and then joined the United States Army serving from October 1942 to October 1945.  He was stationed in Africa, Italy, France and Germany.  As a gun sergeant in heavy artillery, he had 461 combat days.

He and Kit were married in January 1948 and lived in Demarest, NJ.

Bill was an auto salesman and Truck Manager in New Jersey and later in South Burlington, Vermont for Shearer Chevrolet for over 30 years.  He won many awards for his outstanding sales records including television sets (the family had the first color television in the neighborhood) and trips to Mexico, Europe, Bermuda and Nassau.  He retired in 1977 and he and Kit moved to Shushan.

Together they built their own home on property they had owned since 1962.  They loved their place in the woods.  They joined the Coila Church where Bill served as a trustee for six years and helped renovate the chapel and nursery.

Bill used his expertise in carpentry as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity for a number of years.

Along with his devoted wife of 62 years, Bill is survived by their three children, Lee Dawson of Shushan, Linda D. Williamson of Charlotte, VT and Robert Dawson of Roanoke, VA; two siblings, Richard E. Dawson, Jr. of Shushan and Marion Mac Intyre of Littleton, CO; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Celebration of Bill’s life is planned for Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 3 PM at the Coila Church, NY State Route 372, Cambridge.  A private burial with military honors will be held in the spring at Woodlands Cemetery.

The family requests memorial donations be made to the Coila Church.