Kenneth Royal Dawson

Kenneth Royal Dawson, peacefully entered his heavenly home on May 6, 2019. He was born February 18, 1925, the son of the late Crawford Turner and Elma Venable Dawson. He is survived by his daughters-in-law, Janice Dawson and Lisa Hankla Dawson of Rustburg; son William Royal Dawson of Pinehurst, NC; daughter Shirley Falwell and husband David of Lynchburg; and daughter Susan Whittington and husband Tom of Palm City, FL. He was a loving grandfather to nine grandchildren; Chris Dawson and wife Lisa, Kevin Dawson and wife Stacy, Joey Dawson and wife Marcie, Greg Dawson and wife Brittany, Ben Dawson and wife Nicole, all of Rustburg; Dina Blackstock of Altavista; Craig Falwell and wife Sally of Dallas, TX; Jordan Taylor and husband Ian of Jensen Beach, FL; and Kennerly McVeigh of St. Petersburg, FL. He is also survived by eight great grandchildren: Crawford, Ally and Sawyer Dawson, Evey Falwell, Brack Blackstock, Farrah and Lexington Taylor, and Morgan Dawson. He was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Rachel Tanner Dawson, his sister Nellie Dawson Tanner, and two sons, Alfred Kenneth Dawson and Samuel Turner Dawson. Kenneth proudly served in the United States Army in the European Theater during World War II, during which he earned two purple hearts. After being honorably discharged, he worked alongside his father in the family’s sawmill and later started Dawson Logging. When he wasn’t working or repairing equipment, he was farming, fishing or playing the fiddle or guitar. Everything he did seemed to create the basis for a comic story, particularly when he and Rachel frequently took all five children fishing to Leesville or Smith Mountain Lake on summer Saturdays. During the fall and spring, Rachel’s kitchen was alive by 4:30 a.m. most Saturdays when Kenneth’s fishing buddies crowded around the table for coffee, bacon, eggs and pancakes before taking off to Buggs Island and other “fishing holes.” Stories about his annual trips to Wachapreague on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with his fishing buddies and taking his five children fishing on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge pier from midnight to 6 a.m. are legendary. Kenneth’s laugh and sense of humor were a trademark. His unintentional physical comedy left many in stitches as he was a bit accident prone. He never stopped trying to pass hand signals during a game of Rook or win any card game he played with his family paying little attention to the rules. After retiring he developed a passion for woodworking and there are many of his swings and picnic tables being actively used all over central Virginia. Kenneth attended New Chapel Baptist Church as a young man and became a lifelong member of Diamond Hill Presbyterian Church after he married. God, family and country were always at the forefront of his life. As Alzheimer’s began to rob him of his memories and his body declined, Hospice provided great comfort for Kenneth and great relief to the family. He was honored in March 2018 for his service to the country and displayed remarkable clarity that day as he gifted his family with stories of his time in Germany. A celebration of Kenneth's life will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, August 11, 2019 at Diamond Hill Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Christy Mitchell officiating. The family will host a reception following the service in the church fellowship hall. The family wishes to thank all who visited Kenneth over the last several years, and especially the loving, capable staff at The Summit Health and Rehab Center.