Richard Dawson

Richard Dawson, aged 80, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at the Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital Palliative Care Unit in Windsor, ON, surrounded by loved ones. After a courageous battle with cancer, he joins many family members and friends who passed before him. If there are parties in the afterlife, we are quite confident that his is a doozie, and they are likely still nursing sore heads.

In Richard’s final months, family and friends gathered around him, bringing his immediate family of six together in one room for the first time in a long while. We had many face-to-face and FaceTime visits, even breaking out the guitar for one of our famous jam sessions at his bedside in his final days. Richard felt the love of all those he touched as his final chapter came to a close.

Growing up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Richard was a popular lad, likely contributing to the premature grey hairs of his parents, Augustus and May, and many aunts and uncles. He was the second of seven children, born on the same day as his older brother, Brian, but two years later. His first sister, Ingrid, followed, then Lenore, then his brother Ronnie, then Valerie, and finally his sister, Gail.

Richard’s journey took him from the choir to the army, eventually leading him to England, where he met and married his wife of 59 years, Catherine, fondly known as Kay. Together, they had four children: Paul, Brian, Karen, and Dean. In late 1976, they moved to Ottawa, ON, and later settled in Windsor in the mid-'90s. Richard not only built relationships but also houses when he first arrived in Canada. He then became one of Toyota Canada’s top salespeople for 13 consecutive years, dabbled in various other careers, and retired at 65. He loved to golf (socialize and drink beer) and changed cars with alarming frequency, always surprising visitors with what they’d find in his parking spot. He also converted his wife into the second-biggest sports fan in Canada, with sports always on their television.

Richard’s greatest pride and joy was his family. He found comfort in knowing that his four children were all happy, healthy and a couple of them had married. He was very fond of Karen's husband, Pat Truyens and treated Dean's wife Nicole Carron-Dawson like his own daughter. Having them all gathered at his bedside brought him great peace as he transitioned.

He was blessed with many grandchildren and perfected that role over 34 years, which was probably his greatest accomplishment. Each grandchild—Corey, Craig, Charley, Payton, Carter, Kieran, Lyla, and Rowan—was his favorite in their own way.

Instead of flowers, donations can be made to the T2B (Transition to Betterness) Palliative Care Unit at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital. The doctors, nurses, and staff provided exceptional, compassionate care, and the volunteers treated Richard with the utmost respect and kindness.

A celebration of Richard’s life will be held in mid-September. We will share further details once we have had time to grieve and organize everything.