David K. “Dave” Lawson, 74, of Avon, Illinois, passed away at 4:42 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at OSF St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg, Illinois. He was born August 14, 1948 in Avon, the son of Jerome and Reta (Hunter) Lawson. He was raised and educated in Avon, graduating from Avon High School in 1966. Dave would go on to attend Southern Illinois University where he would attain a degree in Agricultural Economics.
Dave married Robin Harre on July 2, 1971. Together they had two children, David and Michael. He is survived by his second wife, Mary (Shankland) Hayes, whom he married on September 15, 1997.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Mary; children, David Scott Lawson of Merrillville, Indiana, Michael Adam (Erin Stretch) Lawson of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and Daniel Shankland (Tara) Hayes of Joliet, Illinois; brothers, Robert Mark Lawson of Ladue, Missouri and Phillip Michael Lawson of St. Augustine, Illinois; and grandchildren, Chase, Owen, Charlotte and William. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother Jerome “Jerry” Lawson, Jr; mother-in-law, Mary Shankland; father-in-law, Jack Shankland; brother-in-law, Rodney Springer; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.
In his earlier career, Dave worked in sales and corporate training for International Harvester and AO Smith. His salesmanship would eventually take him to Apple Computer where he sold computers to corporate clients across the Midwest. He would later go to work selling security systems and computer software for international companies. This allowed Dave to travel extensively across the United States and to countries such as Germany, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.
Despite all this, Dave’s true calling was to return home and be a farmer. He began his own company as a contractor first in Naperville, Illinois which he moved to Avon, Illinois in 2001. His contracting experience allowed him to build the home where he and Mary lived, an accomplishment he was very proud of. He and Mary opened the Main Street Cafe in Avon in 2001, with Dave working to make extensive repairs on the building. He continued this line of work until his retirement in 2015.
Dave was a very active member of the community. He served as a volunteer firefighter. He was a Union Township Trustee, and a member of the St. Augustine Catholic Church, Avon Lions Club, and the Avon Cemetery Board.
In his free time Dave enjoyed solving crossword puzzles and was an avid reader of science fiction novels and political thrillers. He was also a fan of shows on the History Channel, as well as shows like “Dr. Pol”, “How It’s Made”, “Gunsmoke”, and the “FBI” series.
A mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:00 am Friday, July 7, 2023 at the St. Augustine Catholic Church. Friends may call from 4:30-7:30 pm Thursday, July 6, 2023 at the church. Interment will be in the St. Augustine Catholic Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the St. Augustine Catholic Church, The Avon Lions Club, or the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Moore Memorial Home-Avon is handling the arrangements. For more information or to leave an online condolence please visit our website at www.moorememorial.com
