Dawson B. Park, 86, of Circleville, passed away peacefully Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, at Carriage Court Assisted Living Center in Hilliard.
Born March 6, 1930, in Centerburg, he was the son of Judson J. Park and Myrtle (Harris) Park.
A lifelong Ohioan, he graduated from Centerburg High School in 1948.
Dawson proudly served in the United States Air Force as a Staff Sergeant. His skills were utilized in the 4th Air Rescue Squadron, stationed out of Elmendorf AFB in Alaska in the Korean conflict, from 1948-52.
He then moved to Circleville, where he met Lola, the love of his life, and they were married Sept. 3, 1955.
He quickly established himself in the community as a co-owner of a television repair business. He became employed at DuPont in Circleville, where he worked as a shift maintenance electrician for nearly 30 years.
A member of the Circleville Church of the Nazarene, he served for many years as a Sunday School Superintendent and church board member. After retirement from DuPont in 1986, he went on several Work and Witness mission trips. Dawson received the Distinguished Service Award from the Nazarene Church in 2003. He was a vital part of setting up annual Nazarene Campground meetings as a skilled electrician.
He was also a home and appliance repair man for many friends and acquaintances, and a wood and metal craftsman.
Dawson and Lola enjoyed fishing at their winter home in Santee, South Carolina, (followed by famous fish fry parties back home), and enjoyed many motorcycle trips with friends. Dawson completely rebuilt a WWII jeep and proudly drove the Grand Marshal at the head of many Memorial Day parades in Circleville.
He was a big fan of Western movies and made friends at Native American reservations out west. Being the generous man that he was, he helped support them financially. He will perhaps best be remembered for his homemade and hand-stretched peanut brittle that he distributed for several decades during the Christmas season.
Dawson is preceded in death by his parents; brothers James, Michael, Wesley and Dick; sisters Betty Griffith and Belle Axline; and daughter-in-law, Ling (Ren) Park.
He is survived by his wife, Lola M. (Acord) Park, currently of Hilliard; sons, Brent (Tammy) Park of Grove City and Trent Park of West Jefferson; sister, Phyllis Curry of Mount Vernon; brother, Allen (Dude) Park of Centerburg; grandson, Justin (Arianna) Park of Columbus; and great-granddaughter, Marie.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Defenbaugh-Wise Schoedinger Funeral Home. Services were held at Heritage Church of the Nazarene, located at 2264 Walnut Creek Pike, Circleville, OH 43113. Visitation was held from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. A funeral service was held at the church at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 23, 2016 with Pastor Joe Brown officiating.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to The Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601.
Please visit www.schoedinger.com to share a personal condolence or memory for the family.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
