Don Emery Dodson

Don Emery Dodson celebrated his 76th birthday and Easter weekend in heaven. While holding the hands of his wife and daughters at home, he peacefully passed away, leaving behind cherished memories.

A celebration of Don’s life and legacy will be held at First Christian Church, Amarillo, Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.

To view the live stream, please visit https://youtube.com/@fccamarillo?si=pJNmk2ax8ZNveYh0

Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors.

The third generation Dodson was the youngest son born on March 30, 1948, at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Amarillo, Texas, to Herbert W. Dodson and Eva Jane Maxey Dodson.

He was brought up in a caring household and attended Coronado Elementary and Stephen F. Austin Junior High with his “Longtime Friends.” He graduated as a cheerleader for the Amarillo High Sandies with the Class of ’66. After spending a couple of years at Texas Tech, he completed his college education at West Texas State University, earning a master’s degree in business with a focus on finance. Throughout his career, Don utilized his expertise as an ethical business owner, banker, and chief financial officer.

It is amazing that in America, one can go from being a student and bookstore manager to meeting the love of their life and becoming President of the Board of Regents at a foundational institution like Amarillo College.

Don was a compassionate leader who served his community with great dedication. He spent many years serving as a deacon at First Christian Church and as a board member of the Salvation Army. He also served as treasurer of Tascosa Excellence Council, a member of the Texas Christian University Parents Council, and a member of the Amarillo Executive Men’s Business Club.

“He loved spending time on the golf course, sailing on Lake Meredith and the British Virgin Islands, engaging in road biking, designing and crafting pottery, and traveling around the world with his family. Don, who had strong roots in West Texas, decided to move to Fort Worth to be near his daughters and to assist in raising his four cherished grandchildren.”

Don was our Rock of Gibraltar and a source of calm for us. He was a gentle man who loved his family deeply and was a loyal friend to all who knew him. He always made sure to check in on others to see how they were doing. During his illness, he was blessed with prayers, phone calls, texts, and home visits from his loved ones, which lifted his spirits. We will forever be grateful for all the support that we received.

Don is at peace with his departed mother, father, and brothers Herby and Maxey.

Kathy, the wife of 48 years, daughters Meghan and her husband Bob Sheehan, Emery and her husband Colin McConnell, grandchildren Finn and Eva Jane Sheehan, Keegan and Conor McConnell, along with a dynasty of nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers and sisters-in-law, and dear friends, will all miss him terribly.

If you choose to honor his life with a memorial gift, he hoped you would support the Amarillo College Scholarship Fund, Simmons Cancer Center at UT Southwestern, Dallas, or the Salvation Army Amarillo Shelter.