Jay Dean "Bird" Dawson

Jay Dean Dawson, 68, of Belton, Missouri, passed away in the evening of Saturday, May 24th, 2025. He gave all he had in his final months to battling a very sudden diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, and while we are heavily mourning the loss, we are grateful he is now at peace.

A visitation will be held on Monday, June 2, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Johnson County Funeral Chapel and Memorial Gardens in Overland Park,KS. The funeral service will be held Tuesday, June 3rd, at 10:00am at the same location, with the burial immediately following.

Jay was born in Wichita, KS, to Gerald and Earlene Dawson on August 11, 1956. Throughout his youth, Jay’s family moved frequently, but Wichita, New Orleans, and the Kansas City area were the most impactful on his life. During school he competed in several sports, including wrestling and track and field. It was during those years that he earned the nickname “Bird”—a nod to his name, Jay, and a playful reference to his “bird” legs.

He met his future wife, Susan Fifer, while both were working at a laboratory media company in 1978. After only a few weeks of dating, they were engaged and were married by the end of the year. During their 46 year marriage, they welcomed three children and two grandchildren.

Jay was naturally drawn to leadership roles throughout his career and found great fulfillment in mentoring others. He and his wife owned and operated Copies Plus Printing, Inc., and he later worked in retail management and property management for many years. He also held leadership roles in the Chambers of Commerce while living in Atlantic, Iowa, and Harlan, Iowa.

Jay loved to golf and had a passion for fishing. He enjoyed working on cars, reading books, and also woodworking in his garage. His favorite pastime most recently was spending time with his two grandkids.

Jay is preceded in death by his parents, Gerald and Earlene Dawson, and his brother, Tony Dawson.

Jay is survived by his loving wife, Susan Dawson of Belton, MO; his daughter, Tiffany (Roy) Thomas of Olathe, KS; son, Tyler Dawson of Urbandale, IA; daughter, Tara (Clayton) Hill of Belton, MO; brother, Don (Colleen) Dawson of Eagan, MN; brother, Mark (Marilyn) Dawson of Olathe, KS; sister, Sheryl (Tony) Baker of Little Rock, AR; grandson, Arthur Jay Hill; and granddaughter, Anniston Jean Hill.

The pallbearers for his funeral will be his son, Tyler Dawson; his sons-in-law, Clayton Hill and Roy Thomas; his brothers, Don Dawson and Mark Dawson; his brother-in-law, Tony Baker; and his two best friends, Mark Adkins and Ron Adkins.

The family of Jay wishes to extend our sincerest thanks to our friends, family, and community that have supported us in so many ways. Thanks to KC Hospice for making it possible for him to spend his last days at home, where he wished to be. We are so deeply grateful to the KU Cancer Center and the entire staff at the KU BMT clinic—the amount of time he was there for treatments, transfusions, monitoring, and hard conversations was always met with kindness and respect, for which he was so thankful.

If you feel inclined, the family suggests donating in Jay’s honor to the KU Cancer Center. https://www.kucancercenter.org/give/how-to-give