Jerry Lee Dawson

Jerry Lee Dawson was born on July 13, 1936, to James Morton Dawson and Grace Esther (McIntyre) Dawson in Ames, Kansas. He was the first of two children. He graduated from Cabool High School, Cabool, Mo., in 1954 and was accepted to the architecture school at Washington University in St. Louis. Due to his father’s illness, his college plans were scrapped so that he could support his family. In 1955 he moved to Kansas City to work for the U.S. Postal Service. A couple of years later a mutual friend set him up on a blind date with Emily Holmes and the pair were married by her father on October 21, 1961, at Prosperity Baptist Church in Rocky Comfort, Mo.

Jerry had a lifelong love of music, bartering piano lessons in exchange for mowing his elementary teacher’s lawn. In high school he lettered in band and played a variety of musical instruments including bassoon, saxophone, and piano – although his great passion was pipe organ. He was first permitted to play a church organ where he was to have a piano recital and was hooked from that point one. After arriving in Kansas City, he moonlighted at McManis Organs, Inc., Kansas City, Kan., until 1960 when he was able to join the company full time. In the meantime, he began collecting theater pipe organ parts and was active in the American Theater Organ Society Kansas City Chapter, serving as the chapter’s first president. The birth of his first daughter, Elizabeth Ann (Beth) and a burgeoning pipe organ parts collection forced a move to the Roanoke neighborhood of Kansas City, where he and Emily renovated a 1907 home. Their second daughter, Pamela Lea (Pam), followed the year after the move. They held many pipe organ parties and resided in the home until 2013. An on-job injury forced a career move to carpentry at a series of exhibit building companies with his final position at Exhibit Associates. While at Exhibit Associates, he again began moonlighting as a pipe organ technician eventually transitioning to running his own company for 30 years, retiring at age 75. He was involved in the restoration and installation of organs in New York City, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia. He served in many volunteer capacities including the Roanoke Neighborhood Association board and as a watch patrol member; American Theater Organ Society member; and elder and choir member at Roanoke Presbyterian Church. He served on the organ restoration committee at Second Presbyterian Church where he had been a member since 2003.

He was a gentle giant standing 5’ 19 ½” (his preferred way of stating his height) and will be missed for his kind smile, compassionate heart, creative problem-solving, can-do attitude and an endless supply of jokes and funny stories that he shared with everyone for he had never met a stranger in his life.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his wife of 59 years, Emily Ann (Holmes) Dawson. Survivors include his daughters, Beth Dawson and Pam Dawson, both of Kansas City, Mo.; brother, Bruce Dawson (Shirley), West Plains, Mo.; nephews and niece, Greg Holmes (Vicky), Wheaton, Mo., Doug Holmes (Tammy), Purdy, Mo., Deanna Gamble, Russellville, Ar., James Dawson (Cassie), Little Rock, Ar., and David Dawson (Janene), Russellville, Ar.; several great nieces and nephews, and a “daughter”, Leslie Schmitz, whose daughters, Mikayla and Catie, were the “grandchildren” he was very proud of.

Many thanks to Bishop Spencer Place staff, St. Luke’s Hospital, and St. Luke’s Hospice House, all of Kansas City for their care, particularly during the pandemic and after Emily’s death in 2020. A private family graveside service will be held at Mt. Washington Cemetery, Independence, Mo. A memorial service will be held to honor Jerry’s life.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the American Theater Organ Society, www.atos.org, or Second Presbyterian Church.