|
DATE
|
AGE
|
EVENT
|
|
|
 |
| 1925 |
|
Born March 28, Philipsburg, PA |
| 1941 |
16 |
Went to New York with her older brother and saw The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra featuring Frank Sinatra! |
| 1943 |
18 |
Goucher College, Baltimore |
| 1947 |
22 |
Graduates Goucher College in Baltimore, w/degree in Political Science
June 25, met William Dawson, Jr. at Eleanor & Eddie Wallace’s wedding
Worked at Maryland State Department of Public Welfare (Baltimore) as Assistant Librarian (file clerk) for $65.00/week.
|
| 1949 |
24 |
May 28th, married William Dawson Jr., at Philipsburg Presbyterian Church. Reception at same. Honeymooned at Williamsburg, VA.
Moved to Philadelphia, PA
Sang with the Mendelssohn Club in a church on South Broad Street; Harold Gilbert directed, wife, daughters & son-in-law sang with them
|
| 1950 |
24 |
Worked at the William Penn Charter School, as Secretary to the Assistant Principal |
| 1951 |
25 |
Secretary to Harold Gilbert, the Headmaster of St. Peter’s Choir School |
| 1952 |
26 |
After doctors telling her she could not get pregnant, surprise! |
| 1953 |
27 |
Son John born
Moved to Havertown, PA
|
| 1954 |
29 |
Son Todd born |
| 1956 |
30 |
Daughter Elizabeth born |
| 1957 |
31 |
Moved to Washington, DC |
| 1960 |
35 |
Moved w/family to London, England |
| 1965 |
40 |
Moved w/family to Istanbul, Turkey |
| 1968 |
43 |
Brother Tope (George R. Griest Jr.) dies, April 5, the day after Martin Luther King was assassinated
Returned to States at end of July, kids having gone 1 month before, hubby followed 3 months later
|
| 1969 |
44 |
Began temping with Potomac Temporaries
Fall, started with Aztech Corporation (w/Doug Fisher, of Istanbul)
|
| 1970 |
45 |
Ampex Corp.
John took over at Aztech in 1971, during year off of school
|
| 1972 |
47 |
Quit Ampex, went back to Aztech (took over from John) |
| 1978/9 |
53 |
American University night classes in accounting |
| 1979 |
54 |
Father dies in May from complications from circulatory ailments. He was 84. |
| 1980 |
55 |
Mother dies in September of Parkinsons disease at age 83. |
| 1985 |
60 |
Travels to Switzerland with Maryland Chorus |
| 1986 |
61 |
Retires from Aztech Corporation
Worked for Brad Cole, Bethesda Land Company, 1 yr exactly
|
| 1987 |
62 |
July 20, aneurysm on aorta removed
July 31, loss of right leg below knee, due to complications of aneurysm
|
| 1988 |
63 |
May 13, Lung cancer; removed top lobe of right lung
June, went to work for Dupont Associates, Institute for Behavior & Health. Stayed 2 years (till 1990, age 65)
|
| 1991 |
66 |
Gall bladder removed |
| 1993 |
68 |
Brain tumor operation
Began volunteering at Suburban Hospital
Began volunteering at St. John’s Episcopal, Norwood Parish
|
| 1994 |
69 |
Went on staff at St. John’s as Treasurer |
| 1996 |
70 |
Becomes a Grandmother! Lauren Dawson Staehle is born! |
| 1999 |
74 |
Moves to Asbury Methodist Village in April. 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration at Normandie Farm
|
| 2002 |
77 |
Husband William dies in June In September Mom takes a barge trip down the Mississippi
Resigned from Suburban Hospital volunteering duties
|
| 2003 |
78 |
Goes to Paris with Voices XXI and Anne Sidone N. Canal trip
|
| 2004 |
79 |
Resigned from St. John's Opportunity Shop
Began working as a volunteer for the Gaithersburg chapter of ALS, and later became their part-time bookkeeper.
|
| 2005 |
80 |
80th Birthday Party at Normandy Farm, Potomac, MD
A week later Mom was diagnosed with another aneurysm on her aorta, and was taken to Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, and then flown to The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. She underwent two operations, but recovery was hampered by complications.
Mary Dawson passed away on April 29, 2005.
A Memorial Service was held on May 7 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Bethesda, MD.
|
During the six years she lived at Asbury, Mom had served as Vice Chair and then Chair of her building's Residents' Council.
After her passing, we discovered that Mom had been an active member of the PEO Sisterhood, a philanthropic (and at the time somewhat secretive) group dedicated to furthering educational opportunities for women. You can read more about them here.
