Dawson Lycurgus Farber III

June 21, 2026- Dawson Farber III passed away peacefully after a brief illness and complications from surgery. He will be remembered fondly for his commitment to his family and his generosity with many local charities.

Born in 1947 in Towson, MD, Dawson was the first-born son of Patricia and Dawson Farber Jr. and was blessed with four younger brothers and one sister. It was an idyllic childhood, full of sibling fun, annual summers on Cape Cod, and family dogs that added to the joyful chaos.

Dawson attended the Gilman School in Baltimore, MD and then Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, VT. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Clark University in Worcester, MA. While a student at Clark, he was smitten with Lynn Howison, his fraternity’s sorority sweetheart, and they soon were inseparable on and off campus.

Dawson and Lynn were married on the waters of Casco Bay in Maine and shortly thereafter purchased a historic antique home overlooking Rock Harbor Creek in Eastham. Endless hours of blood, sweat, and tears were expended to restore and expand the house, to ready it for a family.

Dawson’s career at Nauset Marine in Orleans started as a summer employee. He continued on full-time after graduation, founding the parts department and leading the sales department. As the years passed, he achieved great success and recognition as a worldwide sales leader for Boston Whaler boats. His professional life concluded as the Chief Executive Officer before retiring in 2014. Dawson’s years in business blessed he and Lynn with wonderful friendships and opportunities to travel the globe. His ability to remember faces and names, even after decades, was truly epic.

Dawson’s two sons, Dawson and Corley, were his pride and joy. Family time was boating time, and summer weekends were spent cruising Pleasant Bay, visiting the now long-gone North Beach camps, fishing, clamming, blue-crabbing and generally relishing the beauty of this magical place. As the boys got older, Dawson enjoyed watching his sons in their various activities be it theatric plays, baseball, hockey or soccer games.

Having always dreamed of owning a waterfront home, Dawson and Lynn moved to Mayflower Point in Orleans where they restored an old duck camp and created a lovely family compound. With both of their sons married and grandchildren arriving, the property became a popular gathering place for extended family and friends. Known by his family as DB, Dawson’s best memories were of lobster clambakes, messily devoured on the deck, and telling of tales (both tall and short) shared with family and friends as the moon rose over the Bay.

Travelling for Dawson and Lynn was a favorite pastime, be it road tripping the East coast or visiting Alaska, Europe, Japan, Hawaii and the Caribbean. Favorite travel memories were of the family bareboating trip in the British Virgin Islands and the retracing of his father’s path from Africa through Italy as an Army artillery officer in World War II.

Dawson had varied interests throughout his life, and many involved his love of speed and competition. He was a magnificent sailor due to his childhood lessons at the Orleans Yacht Club and always cherished a good race. He also loved driving sports cars - a passion that began when he bought his first Porsche in college. In his later years, he grew to appreciate art and befriended many local artists welcoming them into his home to paint en-plein air from the deck.

When Lynn was diagnosed with cancer, Dawson stoically drove her back and forth to Boston for appointments and surgeries, rarely leaving her side. When she passed in 2015, he lost the love of his life.

Dawson was a generous benefactor to local charities and non-profits, including the Center for Coastal Studies and the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance. In addition, he served on several boards putting his business acumen and professional relationships to work for great causes.

He is survived by his sons, Dawson Farber IV and Corley Farber, his daughters-in-law, Cirrus Farber and Kelly Farber, and his grandchildren, Madelyn, Lachlan, Grayson, Oliver, Benjamin, and Elizabeth. Additionally, he is survived by his siblings, Peter Farber, Mark Farber, Jonathan Farber, and Lorinda Routon. He is predeceased by his wife, Lynn, parents, Dawson “Pops” and Patricia “Tree”, and his brother, Michael. He also leaves behind his dear girlfriend, Sally Zink, for whom the family will be forever grateful. Her love and care brought DB through some challenging times and he cherished every moment he spent with her.

Services will be held privately, and a celebration of life will be scheduled later this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Center for Coastal Studies, the Cape Cod Commercial Fisherman’s Alliance, and the American Cancer Society.