Charles "Chuck" Dawson, Jr.

Charles “Chuck” Dawson Jr., age 76, of Columbus, was called to his eternal rest on Thursday, September 3, 2026. He was born in October of 1949, in Greenfield, to the late Charles Dawson Sr. and Margaret Jones. Chuck was the eldest of sixteen children.

In his younger years, Chuck was a globetrotter. Always the black sheep and never a follower, he left home at 17 and spent time hitchhiking around the country and living a wild and eventful life. His loved ones often joked he should have had a book written about his life, though most people would have believed it was a work of fiction. Reaching age 76 was a true gift. Chuck defied death more times than a cat with nine lives. He survived a shooting, stabbing, many childhood hijinks, sepsis, and pneumonia—among other brushes with death he was just too stubborn to succumb to.

He spent many years living in Wilmington where he had a daughter, Amanda, who inherited his signature trait of stubbornness. He later moved to Columbus where he eventually met and settled down with the love of his life, Delores Dawson, whom he affectionately referred to as “Too Sweet.” He grew to love the simple life; his difficult past helped him to appreciate the good things that later came into his life. Despite his rough exterior, Chuck was secretly a teddy bear with a sensitive heart. He always had a gift of making people laugh with his wittiness. He was a dedicated Bengals and Ohio State fan, to the point that he would go to bed angry after a loss and avoid his son-in-law’s phone calls the next day. Up to the end, Chuck kept his ornery sense of humor, unyielding obstinance, and jet-black hair which made every other old man jealous. He will be deeply missed, living on through the funny tales that will be told.

Chuck is preceded in death by his father Charles Dawson Sr.; his sister Jaqueline Dawson; his brother Curt Dawson; his sister Sally Palmer; his brother Kyle Jones; and many other beloved family members, including his grandmother Grace Dawson, whom he cherished deeply.

Chuck is survived by: his mother Margaret Jones; his loving wife of 28 years, Delores; his daughter­ Amanda (Shane) Lieurance, who was his pride and joy; his sisters: Kathleen (David) Cartee, Dixie (Steve) Click, Linda (Phil) VanHorn, Cynthia (Gary) Minter, Crystal (Charles) Anderson, Carla Ritchie, Darcy (Ed) Ingham, Shirley Rogers; his brothers: Robert (Marie) Jones, David Jones, Craig Dawson; his stepchildren Kim (Jerry) Johnson and Michael Richards; his step-grandchildren: Allisen (Jacob) Fields, Nicholas Johnson, Rachael Johnson, and Bella Johnson; a soon-to-be step-great-grandchild; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and other special extended family.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Chuck will be held at a future date.