John D. Dodson 1938-2022

John D. Dodson, 83, of Champaign, Illinois, passed away on Friday, January 14, 2022.

John is survived by his wife of 55 years, Terri Pixley Dodson, by his daughters, Wendy Dodson of Chicago and Gayla Dodson Bella of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, by his son-in-law Robert Bella of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and by a grandchild, Catherine (“Finch”) Gallegos of Chicago.

John was born in California, the son of Rear Adm. Oscar H. Dodson and Pauline (“Polly”) Wellbrock Dodson.  He spent many of his early years abroad, attending school in France and Greece, before graduating from The Diplomatic School in Athens, Greece in 1956.  John attended the University of Illinois, receiving both a B.A. in 1961 and a J.D. from the College of Law in 1966.  He was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and served as a chapter advisor while attending law school.  He was a member of the R.O.T.C. and served in the U.S. Navy from 1961 through 1963, before returning to Urbana to attend law school.

John practiced law in the Champaign-Urbana community for over fifty years and was an active member of the community throughout his career, serving on the Champaign Planning Commission, as a member of the Champaign Rotary Club and as a member and deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Champaign.  He was dedicated to fair treatment under the law and well-respected by both fellow members of the bar and the many clients he served faithfully throughout his long career.

He was an avid fan of the Fighting Illini, holding season tickets to football and basketball for decades (through good times and bad).  More recently he also enjoyed the success of the women’s volleyball team, attending as many games as he could.

John was a deeply kind and thoughtful man with a wonderful sense of humor.  He loved sharing good food and good scotch with great company and was extremely dedicated to and proud of his family.  He will be deeply missed by his family and many friends.