Remembering Ron Dawson
Remembering Ron Dawson
Ron Dawson believed he had a civic responsibility to his community. He wanted to help whoever he could, however he could. Thankfully, his sense of responsibility led him to London Community Foundation, where he became a genuine advocate for our model and a huge believer in the Foundation's work.
During his life, Ron fulfilled this duty to his community by volunteering his time to take the positions as President of the London Chamber of Commerce, and as a board member of organizations, including University Hospital, London Regional Art Museum, Canadian Club, Diabetes Canada, Junior Achievement, and Ontario Trillium Foundation.
A life-long Londoner, Ron grew up on Richmond Street North across from the old Richmond Dairy during the Great Depression.
“It was a pretty tough time – lots of people suffered immensely during the Depression,” recalled Ron, speaking in 2020. “People would go up and down the street, begging for food, or work, or anything at all really. It wasn’t easy for most people, but luckily we managed to get by.”
Ron’s parents instilled in him from an early age the importance of generosity and gratitude.
“My Dad would take a bushel basket and we would go down to the supermarket in Broughdale, fill it up with groceries, and take it over to a family my parents knew in east London who were having a tough time,” remembered Ron. “My parents always said – you eke out your living from the community, so you should always give back to it.”
Ron held on to these lessons as he started his career and eventually, along with his father, took over his uncle’s furniture manufacturing business. It was through this business that he would meet London Community Foundation’s founder, J. Allyn Taylor, when he furnished Mr. Taylor’s office in the new Canada Trust building on the corner of Wellington and Dundas.
When J. Allyn Taylor made the Foundation his primary retirement project in 1979, he called on Ron for a favour.
“They didn’t have anything to put in their new office, so they asked me if I had any used furniture,” said Ron, who had by now sold his manufacturing business and had become an office furniture retailer. “By hook or by crook we managed to put enough furniture together to get them off the ground and away they went.”
Since that day, London Community Foundation has been a part of Ron’s life. From our humble beginnings, Ron and his late wife June were loyal donors to the Foundation who eventually started their own fund, the June and Ronald Dawson Family Fund in 2000.
Ron Dawson had a generous soul. He was always willing to give us advice, connect us to friends, and advocate for the work London Community Foundation was doing. We have deep gratitude for Ron’s leadership, loyal friendship, and witty sense of humour. We will miss him dearly but will find comfort in knowing that a piece of Ron will live on forever through his and June’s family fund. We’ll miss you, Ron!