Wayne Dodson, a long-time Yakima, WA and Eagle, ID resident, passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 19 th at age 88. Wayne was a man of many talents – book smart, street smart, worldly, confident, entrepreneurial, and forever a calm, encouraging, and easygoing presence. He was a loving father, stepfather, grandpa, and friend to many.
He built a life, with his two brothers, out of the ashes of a tough childhood. Born in Los Angeles, Wayne’s itinerant family moved throughout Southern California in his early years; Wayne and his brothers often attended multiple schools in one year and at times didn’t attend school at all because they needed to work. The family settled in Naches, WA when Wayne was in middle school.
Wayne graduated from Naches High School in 1955 and enlisted in the Air Force, where he served until 1959. He was a photographer in the Air Force and spent much of his time posted to Japan taking aerial reconnaissance photos. After the Air Force he returned to Yakima and in 1959 married Helen (nee Phillips) Dodson, whom he’d met in high school. He attended Central Washington University on the GI Bill and graduated with a teaching degree before earning a Master’s in German Language from Washington State University. He also later studied Spanish in Mexico.
He taught German at Eastmont High School in Wenatchee, WA for two years before returning to Yakima in 1968 to teach at Yakima Valley College. Wayne spent 30 years at YVC and at various times taught German and/or Spanish and ran the school’s audio-visual operations. He retired from YVC in 1998 and in 1999 moved to Eagle, ID. Wayne also had many “side hustles” during his career; he built numerous houses and founded an audio-visual company, Dodson Photo/Sound in the 1970s.
Wayne remarried in 1988. He wed Barbara Hemenway, and living in Yakima they had many fun years together until her unfortunate death in the late 1990s. During the last 25 years in Eagle, ID, Wayne kept himself busy with an almost-constant procession of building and home improvement projects as well as domestic and international travel with his family.
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers John and Don Dodson, his wife Barbara Dodson, and his first wife Helen Dodson. His survivors include his children: Son, Jeff (Amy) Dodson of Overland Park, KS; daughter, Jill Dodson of Eagle, ID; stepdaughter, Lynn (Clarke) Hemenway-Morris of Eugene, OR; and stepson, Steve (Mary) Hemenway of Yakima, WA. Wayne’s grandchildren were a great source of love and pride for him, and they include: Meredith Dodson (28) of Boston, MA; U.S. Navy Ensign Edward Dodson (26) of San Diego, CA; Jack Hemenway (26) of Los Angeles, CA; Nick Morris (25) of Elmira, OR; William Dodson (24) of Milwaukee, WI; Catherine Dodson (23) of Eagle, ID; Harley Hemenway (23) of Yakima, WA; Cameron Morris (22) of Redmond, OR; and Jerusalem Morris (22) of Eugene, OR.
In lieu of flowers, contributions made in Wayne’s name would be welcome to either the American Cancer Society or to Naches Valley Dollars for Scholars, PO Box 66, Naches, WA 98937.