It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Dean Charles Dawson on February 14, 2021. Dean was born to Harry and Sara Agnes Dawson on June 25, 1933 in Los Angeles, California.
Dean grew up in an Irish family in Culver City, California and graduated from Loyola High School. In 1951 Dean joined the United States Navy where he served as an AT3 Combat Aircrewman. He served for four years on the USS Oriskany stationed in San Diego, CA.
Dean’s military service was very important to him and provided him with an valuable background in electrical engineering; he reflected on these years with great pride. He remained in contact with many of his crewmen and made it a priority to attend veteran functions and reunions.
In 1956, Dean began a long journey working for aeronautic companies. He began working for Douglas Aircraft as an electronic technician in Santa Monica, California. He married the love of his life, Miriam Ana Alvarenga in 1959. This began a journey of 62 beautiful years. In 1960 Dean began a new career with Northrup Grumman Aerospace and Defense Company serving as a field service engineer until his departure in 1971. During this time, Dean and Miriam began their family with Christopher born in 1960, Jeffrey in 1961, Laura Anne in 1962 and Greg in 1966. While raising a family and working for Northrup Grumman, Dean attended night school at California State University in Long Beach.
Despite working long hours, raising four children and providing for his family, Dean received his degree in Economics in 1972. For the next 20 years,
Dean continued to work for aerospace and defense companies: Nicolet Scientific Corp and Kikusui International respectively and finally settled in Irvine, California—a city he dearly loved. Dean’s talents went beyond the world of aeronautics. His greatest passion was his love of boats and the sea which began at the age of 12. For 75 years, Dean surrounded himself with boats and the ocean. He constructed numerous boats and shared this love with his children and grandchildren. Dean also enjoyed writing.
He was a natural storyteller and his grandchildren never tired of his stories. Many of them still share them at dinner tables and fondly remember their “Dops and his stories.”
Though Dean loved his boats and his stories, his greatest love was his wife of 62 years, Miriam.
There was no one or no thing he adored more and it was evident in everything that he did for his Miriam. Dean Dawson is preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Sara Dawson, his brother, Harry Dawson and his sister, Sally Dawson.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Miriam Ana Dawson, his sons: Christopher, Jeff and Greg; his daughter, Laura Anne Swanson and his grandchildren, Connor, Briana, Tyler, Christian, Gratian, Spencer, Shane, and Max Dawson: Sami Treskas and Abbi Swanson. Dean loved his family more than anything, and they, in turn, will never forget him.
Funeral services were held April, 9, 2021 in Culver City, California.
May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again. Godspeed, Dops.
