8 Bells - Dave Dawson, Past Commodore

A lifelong love of people and sailing.

David Bradshaw Dawson, Sr., a longtime member of West River Sailing Club, died on July 16, 2025. He was 89. 

Dave was born in Flushing, New York. His Bachelor's in Foreign Service from Georgetown and his interest in other countries and cultures led to private-sector and Department of State and USAID postings, with a focus on human rights, support for civilians displaced by war, and infrastructure development. As a result, he lived or worked in Zaire (now DRC); Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and other African nations. But his real love was boating.

Dave grew up both cruising and sailing on Long Island Sound. He then spent more than fifty years sailing, cruising, and racing upon the broad, ever-changing waters of the Chesapeake Bay, in addition to Atlantic Coast sailing and the occasional Bermuda run. He was widely known for introducing others to the world of sailing, from family to co-workers to neighbors to friends. In this way, he touched too many lives to count, including transforming his wife of thirty-six years, Rachel, from a landlubber to an enthusiastic sailor.  

At WRSC, Dave Dave Dawson was primarily a cruiser. He also participated in one-design racing and some big-boat racing. Along with heading various committees over the years, he was proud to serve as Commodore in 2007.

Dave is survived by his wife, Rachel Miller Dawson, who was his beloved partner and friend, and by his loving children, Julie Dawson Govan (Tim), and his son, David Bradshaw Dawson, Jr. (Rosey), and their families, many of whom learned sailing at WRSC.

A memorial service will be planned for Fall 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Dave's memory to the West River Sailing Foundation or the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum at cbmm.org/donate.

In honor of Dave’s impact on WRSC, club insignias were flown half-staff for one week following his passing.