Tracy Warren Dotson, Sr.

TRACY WARREN DOTSON, Sr.

Tracy Warren Dotson was the son of the late Oliver Thomas and Elizabeth Mary (Bessie Mae) Evans Dotson. He was born in Spokane, Washington on January 12, 1933. He was the youngest of ten children and preceded in death by his brothers & sisters: Oliver Thomas, Jr. (Elsa Lowery), Walsh Evans (Hildaguard), Bessie Ford, Ella Juanita (Joseph Clarke), Emry Myron (Bettye Wampler),  Lenore Oakla (Charles Mohr), Anna Marie (Board), Adrian Ervin (Ruth Wilson), and an infant sister.

Tracy graduated from Chesterfield South Carolina High School in 1951. He worked at Delta, in Cheraw, SC, during the summer of 1951. He enlisted in the United States Navy in December 1951, and served as a 1st Class Aviation Electronics Technician. He was honorably discharged in 1955.

He married Margaret L. Collins, from Chesterfield, SC, in 1956. They were married at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Cheraw, SC.

Tracy is survived by Margaret, his wife of 61 years; three sons: Tracy Warren, Jr. (Lorraine Gaye Penny) — Asheville, NC, Nathan Trent — Arlington, VA, and Stephen Wayne (Michele Williamson) — Mint Hill, NC; and five grandchildren: Bradan Page (Allison), Galen Kane, Parker Gray, Austin Connor and Stephanie Michele.

Tracy was hired by IBM in February 1955 as a Customer Engineer in their Time Recording Division, in Charlotte, NC. In 1959, he moved to Lexington, Kentucky as an Associate Engineer in the Electric Typewriter Division. In 1964, he transferred to the Research Triangle Park, near Raleigh, NC and as a Staff Engineer in the Reliability, Availability & Serviceability (RAS) Department, for IBM Store Systems, where he retired as Senior Manager, in 1990.

Tracy and Margaret lived in Cary, NC for 27 years and following retirement, moved back to Chesterfield, SC in 1993.

Tracy was very active in the Episcopal Church, serving on the Vestry as Senior Warden at St. Gabriel’s The Archangel in Lexington, KY and St. Paul’s in Cary, NC. After moving back to SC, he again became a member of St. David’s Episcopal Church, in Cheraw, SC and then the Cheraw Episcopal Worship Group.

He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, while his sons were in the Scouts, and served as Scout Master for Troup 201, sponsored by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Cary, NC. Tracy was a Mason and a member of The American Legion and the Chesterfield Service Club.

Tracy’s hobbies included restoring old automobiles, remodeling and building additions to his various homes over the years — including the restoration of their antebellum Austin-Craig-Laney House, in Chesterfield — and he was an avid reader.

Tracy will be buried, near his parents, at Old St. David’s Cemetery, in Cheraw SC following a private family graveside service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Cheraw Episcopal Worship Group (Outreach), c/o Phil Powell, 230 3rd Street, Cheraw, SC 29520 or to the Old St. David’s Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 1196, Cheraw, SC 29520

Miller-Rivers-Caulder Funeral Home of Chesterfield, SC (www.mrcfuneralhome.com) is serving the Dotson Family.