John "PappaDoc" Dawson

[JimHow]

Jacques reports that we lost John Dawson this morning.
I debated about whether to post this sad news on Thanksgiving Day, but I felt everyone would want to know as soon as possible.
Our thoughts are with Stephanie, John and their family.

[Chateau Vin]

Jacques reports that we lost John Dawson this morning.
I debated about whether to post this sad news on Thanksgiving Day, but I felt everyone would want to know as soon as possible.
Our thoughts are with Stephanie, John and their family.

I don't know him nor ever met him, but I believe when BWErs say he was a very good man.

Good people deserve to be remembered on any day and more so on holidays.

[jal]

John.jpg (33.85 KiB) Viewed 4189 times

That's how I'll always want to remember John, as a friend, as a mentor and as an inspiration.

It is heartbreaking news. Farewell on your journey, Pappa. You'll always be in my heart.

[AKR]

I'm very saddened to hear that. I'm glad we got a chance to say hello when were in the tri state region.

John fought the good fight for so long. I remember him quoting that poem of fighting the dying of the light to me.

Our thoughts are with Jackdaw and his family.

I will look through my google photos and do a face search to see if I can find some remembrances.

A really great guy.

[JimHow]

From March 2016, the last time I saw him.
I went to look for him at Zachy's a couple Saturdays ago but he wasn't there.
A very sad day.

[AKR]

I need to find some pictures of him in my Google Photos to train it to find more.

Last time we got together was a magnum supper two years ago

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ddgz3jrPU1GwwVfn2

I have pictures of the bottles, but not of Pappa

[DavidG]

Very sad news. I can’t think of a wiser, gentler wine buddy. Haven’t seen him in a while, but want to thank Jacques and Jill for bringing us together at their place a few years ago.

RIP PappaDoc, and peace to your family.

[stefan]

PappaDoc was one of the best. Lucie and I will miss him and give our condolences to JackDaw and the rest of John's family.

[jal]

A few more pictures:
With Jill and with Gio

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP ... dCQnFEWURn

[Nicklasss]

A very generous man, in all the ways you can think about it. A kind, fun, respectful and friendly guy.

I will always remember Pappadoc (John Dawson) as I exchanged wine with him, he his the only one who gave 2 German wines to Marie-Claude (she still has one left). He also gave me two baseball hats in NYC in 2003, one for me and one for my brother he had never met. But that would be okay 3 years later as they meet each other at Jal's pool party.

It is very tough, I'm so sad, a truly ''one of a kind'' man.

If I could, i would make everybody taste Yquem as it is the greatest to me. And in all the wine lovers I know, pappaDoc would have been the top one i would have introduce to other wine lovers.

May Jackdaw and all the family/friends get all my deepest sympathies.

Nic

[Blanquito]

A great guy, very generous and knowledgeable. I last saw him at Jacques and Jill's pool party when he poured an 83 JJ Prum Auslese and drove me to the MetroNorth station at the end of the evening. I always enjoyed talking with him.

He fought the good fight with grace and humor, an example for us all.

All the best, John, you'll be missed.

[tim]

How sad, I have great memories of PappaDoc. He will be missed! My condolences to JackDaw and family.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

That's tough. I only recall him from the early days of this site but he was one of the reasons I found the group attractive.

[AlexR]

I have a fine memory of meeting him on several occasions.

A friend, open, gregarious true wine lover.

Alex R.

[jckba]

While I didn’t know John through BWE, I frequented Zachys quite a bit over the last 15 years and the pictures in Jacques & Jim’s posts bring back memories as when I first started collecting, he was a fixture in the store and would always be helpful and engaging in conversation over our mutual interest in wine. I am sorry to hear of his passing.

[dstgolf]

I never had the pleasure to meet the man however through this site it was like I new him as a friend. May he rest in peace and condolences to his family.

[AKR]

A few more pictures:
With Jill and with Gio

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipN ... e_eJYsjzLy

you might have to convert those pictures into an album, and then set the the permissions to anyone with the link to view. i'm getting an error when i try to view them....

[jal]

Try it now Arv

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP ... dCQnFEWURn

[Comte Flaneur]

Very sad to learn of the news of John’s passing. I used to enjoy visiting him in Zachys on Saturday afternoons when I lived in CT. A mentor and friend he was a calm presence and exuded a steely determination in his courageous battle. I remember sharing a magnificent bottle of 1970 Calon Segur with him at one of Jacques’s parties. Rest in peace John.

[William P]

My condolences to JackDaw. I never met PappaDoc but I've shared a bottle with JackDaw. You can usually tell the quality of the man by how well he raised his children. You've done good PappaDoc. Rest in peace.

Bill

[Claret]

I am truly saddened. John was like a hip uncle when we were together. Always generous, I have a 2001 Auslese he gave me and will open it in his memory one day. Oh the fun off lines we had at Mr. Tang's in Chinatown. I recall John telling me a story of when he worked in the record biz, maybe late 1960's, and he was a bike courier in Manhattan. Many other stories too. You are missed John.

[JimHow]

I remember the night we were way down deep in the financial district and he was showing us the original slabs from the old New Amsterdam in the area of his route with the USPS. I was with Whuzzup__ the first time we met him and Jackdaw circa 2002, we met them for like five minutes and it felt like we had been lifelong friends.
We had some great dinners with him, what a kind man. A tremendous guy. An irreplaceable loss.

[AKR]

Try it now Arv

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP ... dCQnFEWURn

Those are great. I love his chapeau!

[Musigny 151]

A really lovely guy; superb palate, endless enthusiasm, and I feel lucky to have known him.

[jal]

John was much more than a friend to me, I feel like I lost a close uncle.
From the time he took me aside and we went for a walk in the middle of the NYC BWE convention where I needed to clear my mind from all the bs around, to the visits and the dinners together. He and Jackdaw came to my daughter's bat mitzvah, he sent us humentashen for Purim every year, he came to a bunch of my kids soccer games, he got my son while in high school a summer job at the zachys warehouse, he planted a tree in the memory of my mother when she passed.
We missed him last May when in the area but Jill and I had plans to come see him in Westchester this Sunday. His passing is very hard. I will miss him enormously.

On this note, I will be forever grateful to Jim for setting up this site that allowed me and the Dawsons as well as dozens of other close friends to meet. Thank you Jim and thank you BWE.

[robertgoulet]

everytime I heard the name Pappadoc, someone was speaking of him with the utmost respect. Obviously a great and dignified man. Sorry I never got to meet him.
Godpeed to the true 'Big Pappa'

[Sdayton]

I am just seeing this and am heartbroken. Pappa Doc was such a kind, stand up guy. He will truly be missed. RIP my friend.

[JimHow]

I went to the memorial service today in New Rochelle, I wanted to make sure there was a BWE presence there. He had many friends from BWE, including fellow area New Yorkers Jacques and Jill, and BWE friends from around the globe. Jackdaw and Amanda gave very beautiful words to the overflow crowd in attendance. Pappa Doc touched a lot of people from many walks of life. His beautiful family brought him great joy. He has been ill for a long time and his final months were especially courageous. I am very happy we had the opportunity to know him, even if all too briefly. He lived a rich and good life.

[Nicklasss]

Can't add anything.

My father was here an hour ago, he turned 72 Thursday.

We had fun, eating raw oysters with Chablis, and enjoying the meal with the kids, 2005 Lopez Heredia and 2012 Clusel-Roch Côte Rôtie. We enjoy those moments made of family love, fun and the kids telling us we are old.

Nic

[Claudius2]

Folks,
Very sad to hear.
I only met him once, at a tasting in NYC in 2004.
He brought a wonderful bottle of Angelus.
A very generous and humble man.