William Dawson, Former Navy Officer

William F. ``Bull'' Dawson, former commanding officer of Sand Point Naval Air Station and chief of staff for the 13th Naval District, died Saturday at the Ballard Convalescent Center. He was 74.

Mr. Dawson, who was born in Newman, Ill., Aug. 17, 1915, adopted Seattle after four tours at Sand Point, as a pilot in 1939 and again in 1948, another as commanding officer from 1961 to 1963, and later as chief of staff for the 13th Naval District. He retired from the Navy in 1968.

He enlisted in the Navy in 1936 as a naval aviation cadet and earned his wings at Pensacola, Fla. the following year. He was stationed in Kodiak during World War II.

In addition to serving as commander of the Arctic ice patrol, he served as head of the Fleet Intelligence Center in Port Lyautey, Morocco. He also commanded a patrol squadron at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.

Mr. Dawson got the nickname ``Bull'' from a character named Bull Dawson in a 1930s comic strip.

``Bull was a very gruff individual who did a lot of good things but never publicized it,'' said Keith Smith, a friend of Mr. Dawson.

Mr. Dawson would often help neighbors with household repairs, such as fixing their plumbing but did not like to tell others because that was a side of his personality he did not want people to know about, Smith said.

After he retired, Mr. Dawson bought a boat, the Nimrod, and became active in the Seattle Yacht Club as well as Seafair.

During Seafair, he would donate his time as well as his boat to the Seafair committee, allowing it to use his boat as an office at the hydroplane races, Smith said.

Mr. Dawson was a charter member of the Seafair Boat Club.

He was also the Seattle Yacht Club's Admiral of the Day for the 1969 Opening Day ceremonies.

An avid fisherman, Mr. Dawson would sail to the San Juan Islands on fishing trips about every other week, Smith said.

Smith, who accompanied Mr. Dawson on many fishing trips, said he also made many hunting trips with Mr. Dawson to Eastern Washington, where they would hunt for pheasant and quail.

At his request, no services are being held for Mr. Dawson.

Mr. Dawson is survived by his wife of 51 years, Lois of Seattle; a son, Joseph Dawson of Bellevue; two daughters, Dede Olson of Chelan and Karen Milt of Renton; two sisters, Fifi Pate of Greenwich, Conn., and Annette Rohman of Ann Arbor, Mich.; three grandsons, Sean, Brian and Michael Dawson of Bellevue; and a granddaughter, Heather Milt of Renton.

Remembrances may be sent to the Ballard Convalescent Center, Children's Hospital and Medical Center or charity of choice.