Reverend Jack H Dawson

Reverend Jack H. Dawson, age 94, formerly of Alliance, retired to his heavenly home, surrounded by his loving family at Community Care Center on August 11, 2020.

He was born the fifth of eleven children on November 9, 1925, to James and Annie (Cook) Dawson.  Jack graduated from Alliance High School and entered Mount Union College. His studies were interrupted while serving in the United States Navy during World War II.  Upon the completion of his military service, he returned to his studies at Mount Union and then transferred and finished his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University in 1949.

Before beginning his vocational career in the ministry, he had a successful career in insurance, sales and motivational speaking.  He was elected to the Alliance Board of Education, and at that time was the youngest ever to be elected to that office. The call to ministry for Jack, began as a whisper. He was listening to that whisper grow louder, while working for Thermo-Fax of Canton. Starting in sales, then sales manager and eventually to vice-president of Thermo-Fax; he attended a Faith at Work conference at Christ United Presbyterian Church.  The whisper only began to grow louder to make a change in his life.  Finally in 1968, the call to serve was too loud to ignore. After 18 years of an illustrious career in the business world, Jack answered the call and entered the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and received his Master of Divinity, and devoted his life to spreading the Word of God.  He was ordained Sunday September 24, 1972 at First Presbyterian Church in Alliance by the Presbytery of Wooster. He went on to serve at Brookline Boulevard United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh for 17 years, retiring as Pastor Emeritus.  After returning to Stark County, Jack served various interim positions.  Lastly he served as an associate pastor at John Knox Presbyterian Church in North Canton until the age of 85.

Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 72 years, Julia (Temple) Dawson, whom he wed January 1, 1948, of Canton; daughter, Karen (Dawson) Bradley of Canton; granddaughter, Elizabeth (Bradley) Lindenbaum and husband Brian Lindenbaum of Canton; grandsons, Benjamin Bradley and wife Dr. Kayron Bradley of Kansas City, Kansas, and Kevin Bradley and wife Chantal Bradley of College Park, Maryland; seven great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson; sisters, Elizabeth “Betty” Reda, of Alliance, Patricia Kocsis, of Jacksonville, Florida ; brother, Leonard Ray Dawson of Kansas City, Missouri; along with many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and seven siblings.

Visitation will be Friday August 14, at Cassaday-Turkle-Christian from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. A private family service will take place at Christ United Presbyterian Church. Interment to be held at Fairmount Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donation to be made to the Greater Alliance Foundation, 960 West State Street Suite 130 Alliance, Ohio 44601.

Arrangements entrusted to Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home 75 South Union Ave Alliance, Ohio 44601.