Dolores "Dee" Dawson

Dolores "Dee" Ann Dawson, 75, of Waverly, formerly of Circleville, Ohio, died July 14, 2017, at the Memory Gardens of Bristol Village in Waverly, Ohio. Dee was born June 28, 1942, in Parkersburg, WV, the daughter of the late Marie (Leeson) McMillion and Kenneth Leeson. She attended Potomac State University, where she met Dave Dawson. In the early 1960s Dee became very ill, was hospitalized for months, and was not expected to survive. Dave's devotion (and, once, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) helped her through that illness, and they were inseparable for 50 years. Dee eventually graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Library Science. Dee had many careers, all of which involved helping others, often those who needed help most. She was a librarian by education, and books, reading, and writing were critically important to her. She worked at the State Library in Columbus, was the reference librarian at Wagnalls Memorial in Lithopolis, and even shelved books for Pike County Public Library in Waverly. Dee ran her own tax consulting and bookkeeping business so she could be home to raise her son Mark, who was also a 43-year-long full-time job for her. As soon as Mark could be trusted not to squirt plant fertilizer in his ear, Dee served on the Board of Education for the Circleville City Schools and ran the local literacy council to help adults learn how to read. At various times Dee and her husband Dave served as foster parents to a few children in Circleville who needed a good place to live for a while, and they also hosted exchange students from overseas. In retirement, just to keep things interesting, Dee was the financial backbone of the Roundtown Cafe for a few years, and she also worked for the Census Bureau, driving around collecting data from the far-flung corners and deep hollers of Pike County. Dee was the author of a thoroughly researched book of the genealogy of one side of her family, and was in the midst of editing a collection of essays she had written for her own personal memoir. She volunteered her time in various church activities, especially working with One Community Ministries and its prison ministry program. She loved and was loved by the congregations at Community United Methodist Church in Circleville, and Grace United Methodist Church in Waverly. Dee and Dave celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary shortly before his passing in 2014. Dee was preceded in death by her sister Dorothy Griffin, of Phoenix, Arizona, and is survived by her sister Jean Lea, of Beavercreek, OH, and son Mark Edward Dawson, currently of Tempe, AZ. A memorial service will be held at 5:00pm Monday, July 24, 2017, at the Wellman Funeral Home in Circleville, Ohio, with Pastor Dan Evory. Friends and family are encouraged to gather from 4:00pm to 5:00pm to visit. Memorial contributions may be made to Grace United Methodist Church (Waverly). Online condolences may be made to www.wellmanfuneralhomes.com.