Loving husband and father, accomplished businessman, Olympics-level marksman Ron Dotson, a longtime Claremont resident, died on February 20, 2013 after a long illness caused by complications resulting from pneumonia. He was 54.

Mr. Dotson was born on November 16, 1958 in Portland, Oregon to John and Mae Dotson, the younger brother of Nathan Dotson. He spent his childhood in Montclair, graduating from Montclair High School in 1976.

During high school, he met his first wife, Deborah Mhoon, and they married in 1977. In December of 1977, he became a father with the birth of his first son, Greg.

Mr. Dotson continued to work for his family business, at Professional Towel and Linen Supply in Glendora, and maintained a heavy college workload to complete his bachelor’s degree in business at Cal Poly, Pomona even after breaking his back in 1978. Despite the difficulty of recovering from major back surgery and the demands of early marriage and fatherhood, he graduated from college in 3-and-a-half years with a high grade point average. 

In 1980, Mr. Dotson began working full-time in the family business as the vice president of customer service. He worked at Professional Towel for almost 30 years, taking over as co-president along with his brother following their father’s retirement until they sold the business in the mid-2000s. 

In his spare time, Mr. Dotson liked hunting, fishing and shooting as well as collecting things, from baseball cards to Western paraphernalia. He loved to read and was an enthusiastic fan of rock ‘n roll and country music.

In April of 1981, Mr. Dotson became a father for the second time with the birth of his son, Adam. In 1983, he was offered the opportunity to be on the Olympic shooting team for the 1984 Olympics. He declined the invitation, however, because his third son was on the way. On his birthday, Mr. Dotson became a third-time father with the birth of Ethan.

In 1986, due to ongoing degeneration, he began a series of over 20 back surgeries that continued throughout the remainder of his life. In 2000, Mr. Dotson married his second wife, Denise Abell, adding her 2 daughters, Erin and Samantha, to his family. Mr. Dotson became a 4-time grandfather with the birth of his grandchildren, Thomas (2000), James (2005), Catalina (2009) and Clara (2012).

Mr. Dotson spent 25 years in Claremont, raising a family and making a lasting impression on countless people. 

“To everyone who knew him, Ron was a confidante, someone they could come to without fear or judgment,” according to family.

A loving husband and father, Mr. Dotson was a man of tradition, making a special effort to create lasting memories for the people he loved, from Christmas morning rituals to Sunday rib nights with his wife, Denise. 

“In everything he did, he was a man of honor and moral conviction, doing what was right no matter the cost,” his family shared. “His life is a blessing to all who knew him.”

Eventually, Mr. Dotson diedat Pomona Valley Medical Center when his body surrendered to a rapid onset of pneumonia resulting in sepsis, “allowing his spirit to return to his Heavenly Father,” family said.

Mr. Dotson was laid to rest in Oak Park Cemetery in Claremont on February 25, 2013.

The family requests that any donations in Ron Dotson’s name be made to the Salvation Army of Southern California, PO Box 93002, Long Beach, CA 90809.