Jean Elaine Dawson

Jean graduated from Hanover Jr.-Sr. High School where she excelled in athletics, earning 11 letters and being named the Co-Captain of New Hampshire's first All-State Field Hockey Team, and recipient of the Citizenship Award at the New Hampshire Girls State in 1955. She graduated from Hanover High School in June 1956 and enrolled in the University of New Hampshire as a Physical Education major that fall.

In 1958, Jean married Airman First Class Frank Dawson of Warren, Ohio who was an Air Force chapel manager. Jean left the University of New Hampshire to start a family which resulted in sons Stephen Bryan Dawson and Carlton Douglas Dawson.

It was not until 1968 when she formally returned to UNH and graduated with a degree in Recreation and Physical Education in 1969. Having already lived in Plattsburg, New York and Alamogordo, New Mexico, she was overjoyed to have an opportunity for the family to become stationed in Athens, Greece. The family lived in Athens from 1969-1974 where Jean worked as a guidance counselor and registrar for the new University of Maryland's undergraduate program until their enrollment became self sustaining.

Jean also enjoyed her time as an accompanist for the Hellenikon Air Force Base multi-denominational church services. While in Greece, she traveled throughout Europe, often in conjunction with Bryan's baseball "career", as he represented Greece in the Little League Baseball World Series.

After leaving Greece in 1974, the family relocated to San Antonio's Lackland AFB where Frank was stationed until his retirement in 1980. He died in 1984, one month prior to receiving his Bachelor in Fine Arts Degree from University of Texas San Antonio.

Jeans' writing career took hold in 1986 when she was employed as a copywriter in Dillard's Department Store Advertising Department, shortly becoming Copy Chief and subsequently Assistant Advertising Manager. Continuing with her series of firsts, she decided to opt for entrepreneurship and established Ink, Etc, a creative agency specializing in publications, public relations, and events coordination, while pursuing a career as a freelance writer for Fiesta Magazine. She ultimately retired in 2009.

In retrospect, her life has been filled with excitement, and world travel thanks largely to husband Frank and son Doug, a retired Air Force Major and current Director of International Marketing for ARINC Corporation. She took advantage of the many travel opportunities to faraway lands such as Greece, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Holland, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and ultimately Peru.

She was active in a variety of civic and social organizations including serving on the boards of the Association for Women in Communications, on the national and local levels, in 1984, serving as President of the San Antonio Advertising Federation Women in Business, and actively participating and fundraising for annual United Negro College Fund Scholarship Program. She was the only African American appointed by the San Antonio City Council on the city's first Small and Minority Business and the Cable TV Advisory Boards. She served as the first female Executive Director of the Alamo City Chamber of Commerce.

Over her working career she has amassed many awards and honors including Advertiser of the Year and numerous merit awards from the San Antonio Advertising Federation, and having her short stories and poems published in various books and magazines.

She is survived by her sons Bryan and Doug, and grandchildren, Allison, Alexandra, Christina, Christopher, Cindy, and Stephen; her siblings George C. Packard, Jr. of Wilder, Vermont and Joyce Packard Hamilton, of Springfield, Vermont, nephew Mark Reed of San Antonio, and daughter-in- law Pilar Dawson of Lima, Peru. Her extended family includes Anita Robinson of San Antonio and Janet Holden Denham of Salina, Kansas.

She will be missed.

The family will receive friends from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, May 27, 2011, at Porter Loring Mortuary North.

GRAVESIDE SERVICE

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2011

12:00 NOON

FORT SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

1520 HARRY WURZBACH

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Jean E. Dawson Scholarship Fund at any Wells Fargo Bank, account #7454136479, www.wellsfargo.com.