Mr. David Eric Dillon Lawson

Born in Hampshire County , England, He spent his early childhood in Ceylon. The rest was the typical boyhood of an English military family. In 1945, realizing how many young men would be looking for work, he took a ticket to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and for a time managed a ranch raising tobacco and cattle. Though he would have preferred Canada, at the time they were only accepting carpenters and bricklayers. In 1954 he finally reached Canada where he worked for the CBC in Toronto for eleven years. Then, always interested in history, he worked in Black Creek Pioneer Village, the Science Centre in Toronto and set up the laboratory at Kings Landing, New Brunswick. In 1973 he received his Masters degree in the Conservation of Artistic and Historic Works, Cooperstown, New York following which he did work at the Smithsonian Institute and for Parks Canada. A Christmas trip to Victoria convinced him to transfer to the Canadian Conservation Institute and move to Vancouver. After a year’s search for more space to carry on with his wife what became Lawson Conservation Services Ltd. and Ship Research Services, Bowen Island was chosen. From here he launched a twenty five year research project on the 1858 New Brunswick ship Egeria which resulted in two books, one technical, the other historical. His research also brought him to the attention of the World Ship Trust. of which he became the Canadian representative. Unexpected heart problems launched him on his last great voyage.

He leaves his wife Dorothy and his daughter Adrienne (Massoud Najare) and two granddaughters , Emily Conran and Helen Andrews.

His desire was for no service or memorial. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to your favorite charity.