Funeral services for William Thomas (Tom) Dawson will be Friday November 9, 2018 at 2:00 P.M. at First United Methodist Church in Gadsden, Alabama. Rev. Harvey Beck and Rev. Sam Hayes will officiate. His family will receive guests at the church two hours prior to the service. Burial will be at Forrest Cemetery with Collier Butler handling the arrangements. Tom passed away on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at his home.
Tom was born on January 26, 1938 in Gadsden, Alabama. He was a life-long resident of Gadsden and was a member of the Gadsden High School class of 1956. He attended the University of Alabama where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.
He was the co-founder of Dawson Construction Company, a general contracting company that is located in Gadsden, but one that gained national recognition by completing projects throughout the United States. The Company was named an Engineering News Record Top 400 Contractor and maintained a satellite office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for several years. While serving as president and chairman of the board, Tom formed many business relationships that he treasured and maintained throughout the years. He was also inducted into the Young Presidents Organization where he also developed many friendships. He currently served on Alabama Business Hall of Fame Committee for the Culverhouse School of Business at the University of Alabama, where again he had the opportunity to work with other Alabama business owners in nominating and selecting Hall of Fame award recipients.
After retiring Tom formed the William Thomas Dawson Family Foundation to facilitate charitable works that he and his wife Judy wanted to accomplish. The first order of business for the Foundation was to establish an endowment at the University of Alabama to fund academic scholarships for Etowah County high school seniors. Since inception this endowment has funded four-year scholarships for 21 students. The Foundation also helped to fund renovations for the new Boys & Girls Club of Etowah County - for which the building was named in his honor – as well as various funds for the Greater Alabama Council of the Boys Scouts of America and several other local charities.
Tom enjoyed collecting and restoring antique cars and maintained quite a collection over the years. One of his favorite vacations was traveling to antique automobile auctions in resort areas – meeting and talking with other collectors. He also enjoyed spending time at his farm in Ashville.
He is preceded in death by his parents John Wiggins Dawson, Sr. and Evelyn Watts Dawson.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years Judy Day Dawson; his children Paige Dawson, William Judson (Jud) Dawson, Melissa Dawson Loconto; his five grandchildren Olivia Ogletree, Dawson Ogletree, Tom Dawson, II, Dalton Loconto and Victoria Ogletree; his great-grandchildren Delilah Ogletree and Tate Ogletree; his siblings Johnny (Joan) Dawson, Jim (Kim) Dawson, Mike (Pam) Dawson, Judy Dawson (Phillip) Crain and Helen Dawson Coleman; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be: Mike Dawson, Jim Dawson, Dawson Ogletree, Dalton Loconto, Tom Dawson, II and Bart Dawson. Honorary pallbearers are: Johnny Dawson, Marshall Stallings, Henry Culp, Jr., Leonard Hartsook, Dr. Alan Loveman, Jim Davis, Phillip Crain and Jerry Keeling.
The family extends special thanks to Willie Jennings, care-giver, and Kara Howard with Amedisys Health Care.
Flowers will be accepted or donations in Tom’s memory to The First United Methodist Church of Gadsden or the Boys and Girls Club of Etowah County.
