| Graduation Year | Class of 1949 |
| Date of Passing | Dec 28, 2009 |
| About | Doyle Dawson Way was born July 10, 1930, and passed away Monday, Dec. 28, 2009. Dawson married Joan Elizabeth Brumm on July 14, 1951, giving them 58 years of happiness together. Dawson was born and raised in Detroit until he was 16, and then moved to Charlevoix with his parents and brothers, Doug and Dick. Clarence, Dawson’s father, remained in Detroit for a few years working for a tire manufacturer until they could get the family farm in order, thus making Dawson the “man of the family farm.†He attended Charlevoix High School where he met Joan, also nicknamed “Pickles,†and that’s where it all began. Upon graduation and a wedding to Joan, Dawson spent a short time at Ferris State College, and a two-year enlistment with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Dawson was able to arrange to have Joan brought overseas to France where they lived and served for a year. Upon their return home they purchased their own farm on Barnard Road and farmed that until Dawson had an opportunity to join the Farm Bureau Insurance Company. He worked his way from an insurance salesman to district manager, developing the largest Michigan district in the company covering the entire “tip of the mitt†from Traverse City to Alpena and the entire Upper Peninsula. At the age of 45, Dawson chose to retire from Farm Bureau to pursue some development opportunities in the Charlevoix area, including Sugar Bush Knoll and Sugar Bush Meadows in Petoskey. During this time, he volunteered a year to be the building project manager for the Charlevoix Assembly of God Church located on M-66, “the church in the pines.†The Way family, including his parents Clarence and Ruth, and his brothers, were charter members of this assembly. Dawson’s other siblings were Bob Way, Assemblies of God pastor and world missionary, who preceded Dawson to the Heavenly Gates 10 years ago and his sister Geraldine Koehler of Grosse Point, Mich., and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It was not too long after this that Dawson and his son, Barney, with the help of his daughter Sandy and husband Wayne Boss of Boss Engineering of Charlevoix, purchased and ran Charlevoix Garbage Service and Charlevoix County Landfill. They successfully ran and grew this business for eight years before selling the service and landfill to Waste Management. Dawson and Joan retired again and purchased a winter home in Lakeland, Fla. Dawson was always active in some type of venture. He assisted Barney and his wife Kris (Goff) Way with Dry Harbour Marina and also his son Mike and his wife Chris (Davenport) Way in the establishment of Pine River Inc., the home of e-log. Daughters Sue and husband Mike Boss of Boss Engineering live in Howell, and Stacy and husband Don Armbrester of Action Fabricators live in Grand Rapids. Dawson is survived by his wife Joan and their five children, 21 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren, with one more on the way. They enjoyed traveling and family time in Charlevoix on Way Bay. Both of their passions were family, church and their strong Christian faith. |
