Verna Fay Dawson, 94, of La Mirada, CA, was called home on March 25, 2024, in Brookings, OR. The simple life she led, full of laughter and love, was an inspirational example of a life lived well. Humble, kind, gracious, and steadfast are just some of the qualities that made up the fabric of who she was, and there are no words that can express the loss felt by those who came to know and love her.
Verna was born on November 26, 1929 in Manhattan, KS to parents, Ernest Otto Brown and Daisy Anna Jones. At age 4 after her father’s passing, she moved with her mother to Los Angeles, California, where she lived most of her life. It was there that she met her best friend and future matron of honor, Jesse White, while working her first job at Woolworth’s on Broadway in Downtown L.A. Soon after, Verna met and married the love of her life, Benny Edward Dawson, on August 7, 1949 during a passionate elopement to Las Vegas, NV. The love and commitment between Ben and Verna was so great that it could not be expressed in just one nuptial ceremony, so they renewed their vows a second time later that year on November 4, 1949 at Madeleine’s Wedding Chapel in Los Angeles, CA with all their family and friends in attendance. Verna and Ben built their home and family together in Norwalk, CA, where they welcomed their four children into this world and built a loving home for them to grow and thrive for 20 years. Verna became a member of her community in every sense of the word, offering her services not only in home to her family, but also to the people of Norwalk by way of her roles as a Sunday School Teacher at First Christian Church, a position she held for over 20 years, a volunteer staff member at Studebaker Hospital, a founding member of the Meals on Wheels Program of Norwalk, and a Girl Scout Troop Leader for the young ladies of the local chapter. In 1972, Verna and her family moved to La Mirada, CA where she lived for the next 40 years, until finally moving to Brookings, OR with her daughter, Carolyn, where she spent her remaining years surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Verna was most content when being of service to others, be it her volunteer efforts or her creative art, sewing, and crafting projects that produced many artistic expressions which adorned the walls and tables of local church boutiques and antique shops for decades. She was an avid reader and master at crossword puzzles, which she completed at an impressive rate daily for most of her life. The only time she was found to be insistent was during her nightly ritual of watching Jeopardy, an event everyone knew was not to be disturbed.
Verna was a conduit of love, good works, and dutiful service throughout her life, but of all her loving and passionate contributions, her greatest were those made to her family. Devoted to her loved ones, she led a life all would benefit from by its example. Through tragedy, she endured in support her family, through times of struggle, she persisted and created a foundation for them to remain grounded upon. She was joyful and compassionate, faithful and funny, smart and sassy - a beloved wife and a mother for the record books.
Verna has returned to the company of her beloved husband, Benny Edward Dawson; her children, Diane Gail Dawson & Thomas Edward Dawson; her daughter-in-law, Linda Rose Dawson; and her great-grandchild, Bëjorn Christian Camarillo. She is survived by her children, James Ernest Dawson and Carolyn Leigh Dawson; her grandchildren, Holly & Kore Lais, Dale & Lauren McGuffee, Jeremiah & Victoria McGuffee, and Elizabeth & Matthew Camarillo; and her great-grandchildren, Kaleb, Jadence, Benjamin, Gloria, Wyatt, Elora, August “Wolf”, and Theodore.
To honor Verna’s life of devotion, a private Memorial Service will be held at 1:00pm on May 5, 2024 at The Pacific Room of Driftwood Shores, 88416 1st Ave., Florence, OR 97439, followed by a Graveside Committal Service, set to take place at 11:00am on May 24, 2024 at Little Lake Cemetery, 11959 Lakeland Rd., Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670.
Our family would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to all those who have expressed their condolences and offered their support during this challenging time. Verna brought joy and light into this world that remains bright within us in her absence. Her legacy of selfless love and service will endure forever in our cherished memories to inspire those of us blessed to have been a part of her journey. We will hold her in our hearts until we reach our place beside her once again in God’s Heavenly Kingdom.
