John M. Dodson

John M. Dodson, 87, of Amarillo, passed away on July 16, 2021 in Amarillo.  John will be available for viewing on Monday July 19, 2021 from 1:00 - 8:00 PM at the funeral home. Funeral services will be 2:00 PM Tuesday July 20, 2021 at Washington Avenue Christian Church, 3800 S. Washington St., with Pastor Jim Shelburne officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Cox-Rowely Funeral home.

John M. Dodson was born to Virginia Ethel McBride and Alfred Caldwell Dodson on August 17, 1933, in Texola, OK.  Following his father’s death in 1939, John spent most of his difficult childhood years moving from place to place in New Mexico.  He moved to Pampa, TX, in 1951, where he worked for Phillips Petroleum.  In 1959, John was offered a position with Prudential Insurance.  A strong work ethic and entrepreneurial mindset led him to Amarillo in 1964, where he continued his career in insurance with Mutual of Omaha and changed the course of his life.  After just four years, John was made the district manager for Mutual of Omaha.  He was an intelligent and competitive insurance salesman and wanted to surpass every expectation and goal set for him.  John approached clients with honesty, integrity, and kindness, and his approach to people brought him lifelong friendships. However, in these early years of his career, his pride and joy were his four sons, John, Bruce, Greg, and Brian.

In June of 1962, John married the love of his life, Bonnie Phyllis Gregg, his “angel.”  Through the marriage his family grew, and he proudly added sons Bobby and Stacy and daughters Gayle and Carrie to his beloved family.  John and Bonnie enjoyed spending time together and traveled extensively throughout the country to all 50 states and around the world.  John retired from Mutual of Omaha in 1989, but at the request of the company, he returned and worked for three more years before taking full retirement at age 57.

During these years John became a sheriff’s deputy for Potter County and served two terms as a Randall County Commissioner.  The commission reached several goals during John’s tenure as commissioner, most notable among them were the completion of the Randall County Jail, the Youth Center of the High Plains, and the establishment of the Randall County fire Department. He invested in Amarillo real estate, and served on the board of Crimestoppers, the Better Business Bureau, the Red Cross, and various other city entities.

John was a volunteer with Meals On Wheels, a 35-year member of the Tascosa Lion’s Club and was a member of the Khiva Shriners of Amarillo for 52 years.  He was a Freemason, where he simultaneously received the Scottish and York Rite degrees.  John served Paramount Terrace Christian Church as both Elder and Deacon, and at the time of his death was a member of Washington Avenue Christian Church.

On multiple occasions, John was commended for his many career accomplishments and extensive service to his community, but nothing on earth was as important to him as his faith and his family.  John M. Dodson’s devotion to God and country are well known, and he was a man of great integrity, patriotism, and loyalty.  John was outgoing, and he and Bonnie loved to entertain family and friends; any gathering was a happy time of fun and great food.   During his years with Mutual of Omaha, John’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration became legendary for its music and dance floor where he and Bonnie often became the center of every party-goers attention.  John enjoyed watching football and playing poker into the wee hours with his boys, conning the unsuspecting into competing with him at corn-hole, and teaching his children and grandchildren how to do things his way, which of course was the best way to do anything.  John had a smile for every person who walked through his door, and enjoyed the unexpected guest, but at the center of his day-to-day life was his angel, Bonnie.  They lived their love story every day, and their marriage was and is a model of what a Christian marriage is intended to be.

Those left to cherish John’s memory are his wife, Bonnie Dodson, son Greg Dodson and wife Robin, son Bobby Gregg and wife Brenda, daughter Gayle Tyler, daughter Carrie Shankles and husband Allen, all of Amarillo, TX, son Stacy Dodson of Oklahoma City, OK, 43 grand and great-grandchildren, sister Pat Odenbaugh of Minnesota, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his sons John, Bruce, and Brian; by his parents; two sisters, Pauline Stafford, and Anna Lea Grant; and two brothers, Herbert Tanner and AC Dodson.