Robert Edward Dodson, Jr.

Robert Edward Dodson, Jr. of Johnson City was born April 18, 1924 in Rutledge, Grainger County, Tennessee and passed away on Monday, August 17, 2009 in Johnson City. Mr. Dodson was a son of the late Robert E. Dodson, Sr. and Trula Mae Smith Dodson. He attended Carson-Newman College in 1942. Mr. Dodson served his country in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WW II. He attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and graduated from the UT College of Pharmacy in 1949 and also was the President of his Class that year. Mr. Dodson was a member of the First District Pharmacist Association, Tennessee Pharmacist Association, American Pharmacist Association, Fellow of American Society of Consultant Pharmacist. Mr. Dodsons pharmacy career included retail, hospital, pharmaceutical sales and Consultant pharmacist. He served as Medical Service Representative for Eli Lilly and Company for thirty-two years in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Mr. Dodson was also a member of the Johnson City Rotary Club since 1957 and a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a member of the Central Baptist Church, the William R. Ridgal Sunday School Class. He had served as Chairman of the Deacon Body on two different terms, and served on various committees. He had served on the Board of Directors for the Johnson City-Washington County American Red Cross and also as a committeeman for the Boy Scout Troop # 163. Survivors include: his wife of 58 years, Thelma Counts Dodson of the home; one daughter, Laura Dodson Dawley of Myrtle Beach, SC; one son, Thomas Edward and his wife Candace Dodson of Richmond, VA; two brothers, John A. and his wife Jean Dodson of Kingsport and Bill R. and his wife Betty J. Dodson of Kingsport ; three grandchildren, Claire Elizabeth Dodson, Caleb Thomas Dodson, and Robert Connor Dodson; one sister-in-law, Anna Jessee Counts of Lebanon, VA.; five nieces, Martha Counts Kiser and her husband Gary of Ft. Wayne, IN, Betty Counts Rowlette and her husband Fred R. of Abington, VA, Lisa Herndon Norat and her husband David of Lexington, KY, Sandra Dodson of Kingsport, and Amy Goodwin and her husband Forrest of Cincinnati, OH; one nephew, Allen Dodson and his wife Alisa of Hatfield, MA. A memorial service for Robert Edward Dodson, Jr. will be conducted at 2 PM Wednesday, in the Central Baptist Church. Dr. Ron Murray will officiate. The family will receive friends at the church from 12 Noon to 2 PM Wednesday prior to the service. Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Johnson City Rotary Club, the William R. Ridgal Sunday School Class, Chester Blankenship, Clay Marrs, Larry Calhoun, Guy Wilson, Louis Gump, Mike Chapin, Bob Morgan, Floyd Phillips, Gwen Hendrix, Ed Parker, Jim Hales, Richard Lewis, Glenn Dills, Carl Hilton, and Gary Kiser. In lieu of flowers the family request that memorials be sent to the Robert E. and Thelma C. Dodson Endowment Scholarship Fund, UT College of Pharmacy, 62 South Dunlap Street, Suite 500, Memphis, TN 38163 or to the American Cancer Society, 508 Princeton Road, Suite 102, Johnson City, TN 37601 This obituary a courtesy of Morris-Baker Funeral Home.