Funeral arrangements set for former City Council member

Funeral arrangements have been set for former Crystal Lake City Council member Ralph M. Dawson.

Dawson died Jan. 30 at Journey Care Hospice in Barrington with his family at his side, according to his obituary.

The visitation be from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E. Terra Cotta Ave. in Crystal Lake and one hour prior to memorial services 11 a.m. Friday also at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Horizons for the Blind, 125 Erick St., A103, in Crystal Lake,.

Dawson was born June 12, 1929, in Maywood Park. Dawson's family moved to Crystal Lake when he was 8. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on a heavy cruiser in the South Pacific during the Korean Conflict.

After being discharged, he continued sailing and working on merchant ships in all five of the Great Lakes. He then returned to Crystal Lake, where he met his future wife, Linda. Dawson later started his own construction business and built and remodeled numerous homes and buildings in Crystal Lake, retiring in the '90s.

He was a charter member of the Crystal Lake Snow Tigers, and served as president for several years. After retiring, he became a member of Crystal Lake's Economic Development Committee from 1997-1999. In 1999, he was elected to the City Council and served for the next 21 years, stepping down Jan. 21. During his time on the council, Dawson was played a large part in several projects, such as the renovation and construction of the city's municipal building and the development of the Three Oaks Recreation Area.

During Tuesday's City Council meeting, several council members shared memories of Dawson.

Mayor Aaron Shepley said words can't even really express how sad they all are about Dawson's passing.

"Ralph was a lovable guy," he said. "His whole life was Crystal Lake."

Council member Cathy Ferguson said one time, when she and Dawson went to meet with developers when the municipal complex was being built, he went up in the rafters to check them out.

"[He was] just up there just enjoying himself," Ferguson said. "Not many people would be diligent enough to do something like that. Ralph was that kind of person."

Council member Cameron Hubbard said Dawson took him under his wing when he was first elected.

"[Dawson] was a great person to watch, learn from," Hubbard said. "I miss Ralph a lot."