Alice Dawson

(Linda) Alice Dagenhart Dawson, 78, of Asheboro, NC, passed peacefully at her home on August 1st, 2023, in the arms of her daughters, after a brief recurrence of breast cancer.  Alice was born on June 20, 1945, in Taylorsville, NC, to Ernest and Hazel Bowman Dagenhart.  In 1963, Alice graduated Valedictorian from Taylorsville High School.  Alice attended Lenoir Rhyne College and graduated in 1967 at the top of the class with a B.A. in teaching and English and went on to teach in Taylorsville then Winston Salem.  In 1969, Alice met her future husband, Glenn Dawson, Jr., while he was teaching at Wake Forest University.  They wed in 1970 and went on to have two children, Laurel and Aaren. They were soul mates and had been married 51 years at the time Glenn passed two years ago.  Alice worked for 24 years in Randolph County government as Assistant County Manager and Clerk to the Board of County Commissioners.  She was the most selfless person and volunteered for decades for the Senior Adults Association Board, the Salvation Army Board, Meals On Wheels, the Planning Committee/Nursing Home Community Advisory Board, Hospice of Davidson County, Friends of the Library bookstore, and many others.  Alice loved tennis and played almost every day, whether rain or heat or snow, until an injury forced her to stop.   She was involved in the Randolph County Senior Games, played pickleball and racquetball, and was an avid reader, writer, and Scrabble player.  Her main love, though, was for her family, and especially her 4 grandsons and she cherished them above all else.  

Alice was predeceased by her parents and husband, Dr. Glenn Dawson, Jr.  She leaves to grieve her absence daughter Aaren Dawson Toney (Will) of Greenville, NC, four wonderful grandsons, Jordan, Garrett, Nathan, and Eli Toney of Greenville, NC, daughter Laurel Brett Dawson of Asheboro, NC, brother Harold Dagenhart of Taylorsville, NC, sister Lois Hudson of Hildebran, NC, nieces Allison Harmon and Adrienne Chapman, nephew Aubrey Dagenhart, and a host of incredibly loyal and dedicated friends.  

We would like to extend an incredibly heartfelt thank you to Donna Hall for her undying, unwavering, unconditional love and friendship to Alice.  You added immense quality to her life that has been priceless and her love for you was immeasurable.  Thank you to Vickie Lorimer, Tina Sisco, and Laurie West for hours of Mexican Train; your steadfast friendship brought joy and laughter to her life.  Thank you to our Hopewell Friends Meeting family for your faithful love and support.  And thank you to Elizabeth McNeil and the staff of Hospice of Davidson County for allowing us to keep her at home to die in dignity and comfort.

This woman was the most precious, selfless, patient, beautiful soul to ever walk the earth.  She was ready, but we were not.  She looked up several times near the end and lifted her hands up.  I can only believe that she was seeing what lies ahead for all Believers.  So very fitting, as her favorite Bible verse was Psalms 121:1; “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”

In one final act of giving and in keeping with her lifelong pursuit of giving of herself, Alice donated her body to MedCure for medical research and teaching.  A service of remembrance will be held Saturday, August 19, 2023 at 3 P.M. at Hopewell Friends Meeting, 2244 Hopewell Friends Road, Asheboro, NC 27205. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of Davidson County so others can receive the most precious gift of dying in comfort and peace.