Douglas Dawson (18 Jun 1922 - 17 Jan 2019)

We are thankful to God for the life of Douglas Dawson who went to meet his Saviour, face-to-face, on 17th January 2019 aged 96 years.

Born in June, 1922, he lived in East London until the 2nd World War. One of 6 children, he left school aged 14 and worked (amongst other jobs) as a delivery boy for a socialist newspaper. He volunteered for the RAF reserves in 1941 and was called up to war service as a plane technician/mechanic, working at aerodromes in the Eastern Counties of England. He got early release from the RAF in 1946 (though official demobbing had to wait until 1950!) in order to take a ministerial training course at the Strict Baptist Bible Institute in Brockley, SE London. He married Hilda Jones in 1948 and took up his first pastorate in January 1949 in Stretham, Cambridgeshire. At the beginning of 1955 he moved to become pastor of the Baptist Church in Borough Green, Kent where he stayed until September 1973. Then he became pastor of Hainault Road Baptist Church, Leyton until his (official) retirement in 1987. Hainault Road was the church he first became a member of in January 1940. He then moved to help the Thamesmead (Titmus Road) Church where he stayed for 20 years. For his last 11 years he has lived in Stapleford, Nottingham near his eldest son. Hilda died in the Spring of 2017 and he slowly declined thereafter finally giving up his car in March 2018 and moving into a care home in July. He was called to glory on January 17th, 2019, aged 96.

There will be a private funeral service at Bramcote Crematorium at 14:15 on Monday, February 4th 2019 followed by a public Thanksgiving service at 14:45 at Stapleford Baptist Church, Albert Street where he was a valued member, often ministering at its over-60's group until his last year.