Barbadian Edgar Dawson dies at 100
By Nelson A. King
Barbadian Edgar Dawson, a
long-standing, “very dedicated
and loyal member” of Brooklyn’s
Border Union Lodge #8,
under the jurisdiction of Alpha
District Grand Lodge #1, New
York, of the Independent United
Order of Mechanics, Friendly
Society, Western Hemisphere,
Inc., died on Jan. 19, 2020. He
was 100.
According to Hyacinth Robinson,
the Jamaican-born Community
Liaison Officer of the
Independent United Order of
Mechanics, a funeral service for
Dawson was held on Feb. 8 at
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church,
225 W, 99th St. in Harlem,
where he was a staunch member
up to his passing.
At St. Michael’s, Dawson
served as a lay reader, and was a
member of the Usher Board and
the Vestry, Robinson said.
“Edgar travelled nights after
nights from Manhattan to
Brooklyn for many years, where
meetings were held at the Lodge
Hall,” she told Caribbean Life
in an exclusive interview. “He
held many different positions
with the Lodge; and, although
he was unable to attend meetings
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(lately), he was still actively
involved until his death.”
Robinson said Dawson was
also “an avid domino player,
who ‘studied the hands’ of his
opponents and could always
guess what they were holding.”
She said he taught his greatgreat
granddaughters and many
others how to play the game.
“Sometimes they won, and
he was amazed that they were
able to beat him,” Robinson.
She said Dawson also loved
to play the keyboard with one
hand.
“Everyone was amazed at
this accomplishment,” she said,
adding that Dawson “loved to
play hymns and other favorite
tunes.
“Edgar loved the ‘Word’ of
the ‘Master’, and was an avid
reader and student of the Bible,”
Robinson continued. “His day
did not start before reading the
Bible and saying his prayers.”
She said Dawson attended
the early Wednesday morning
service at St. Michael’s, where
he would be one of the readers
of the lessons for the day.
“He would be there unless he
was ill or the weather prevented
him from attending,” Robinson
said. “He also attended the
10:00 am and 6:00 pm services
faithfully.”
She said Dawson’s health
started to decline in the past
two years, and that his granddaughter,
Lisa Dawson, was his
primary care provider, as well
as his daughter, Mellanese Williams.
But even though his health
was deteriorating, Robinson
said Dawson still travelled to his
native to Barbados in August
2017 for a mini family reunion,
along with relatives from London
and the Netherlands.
In June 2019, he travelled
to Houston, Tx to see his great
granddaughter, Jaiden Williams,
graduate from high school with
honors, Robinson said.
During the funeral service,
attended by numerous family
members, parishioners, fraternal
members of the Mechanics
Order and friends, Rev.
Julie Hoplamazian, Associate
Priest at St. Michael’s, said
that “Edgar lived and died a
happy Christian”, alluding to
the birthday celebration, for his
100th milestone, on the night
he also passed, according to
Robinson.
In St. Michael’s Messenger
Newsletter 2015, Rich Hamlin
wrote: “Edgar knows every
hymn and a good deal of the
Bible.
“A couple of months ago,
he landed in St. Luke’s with a
lingering infection,” Hamblin
said. “I visited him at the hospital
and soon we were singing
hymns together.
“What‘s your favorite hymn?”
he said he asked Dawson. “There
were so many it was hard to
choose. He settled on ‘What a
Friend We Have in Jesus’ and
‘Amazing Grace’. Of course, we
sang both of them.”
The late Barbadian, Edgar Dawson.
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