Marion Taylor Dawson Jr.

April 2, 1929 – May 4, 2023

Marion Taylor Dawson Jr., a lifelong resident of Montgomery, Alabama, died peacefully on May 4, 2023, surrounded by his family. A memorial service will be held at the Church of the Ascension on Monday, May 8 at 3 pm, with the Reverend Candice Frazer officiating. Reception and visitation with the family will follow at Ascension Hall.

Taylor was the son of M. Taylor “Ben” and Ruth Sutherland Dawson. He is survived by his wife, Martha Jane Hamn Dawson, and his children, Deborah Dawson Davis and her husband Paul E. Davis Jr.; M. Taylor Dawson III; Virginia Ruth Dawson Haynes and her husband Oliver Lynn Haynes III; and Mary Sutherland Dawson Pinson and her husband Don Hughes Pinson. His survivors also include his grandchildren, Oliver Lynn Haynes IV and his wife Haven Roach Haynes; Mary Dawson Haynes Mitchell and her husband Morgan Head Mitchell III; M. Taylor Dawson IV and his wife Brittany Yancy Dawson; Alexander Sutherland Dawson; Virginia Anne Pinson; Don Hughes Pinson Jr.; and his great grandson Oliver Lynn Haynes V.

Taylor graduated from Sidney Lanier Highschool and the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn University) with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Construction. He served his country in the Army Corp of Engineers in Korea, and partnered in his father’s construction company, Andrew and Dawson. He was named Montgomery’s first Citizen of the Year in 1986 by The Montgomery Advertiser and The Alabama Journal. An Eagle Scout, Taylor was honored by the Boy Scouts of America’s Tukabatchee Area Council for distinguished service to youth in 1990. He was also honored for his civic contributions by the Boys’ Club of America, the Kiwanis Club, United Way, and the Men of Montgomery. A champion of the arts, he provided leadership and patronage to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival since its establishment in Montgomery. A voracious reader and seeker of knowledge, he relished his membership in The Thirteen.

For those who knew him well, Taylor’s faith was the essential part of his identity. He was an active member of The Church of the Ascension and the Respite Ministry at The First United Methodist Church. His family will cherish him always as an avid sailor and fisherman, a humble Christian servant, and a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that remembrances be made to The Church of the Ascension at 315 Clanton Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama, 36104, or to The First United Methodist Church—Respite Ministry—at 2416 W Cloverdale Park, Montgomery, Alabama, 36106.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Leak-MC.com for the Dawson family.