Floyd L Dawson

Floyd L. Dawson, 87, passed peacefully surrounded by his family on March 20, 2021, at the Peace Hospice House in Great Falls, MT. Floyd was born on June 28, 1933, to Sadie Miller and Floyd (Sam) Dawson. He was the oldest of four children, sister, Eleanor; brother, Robert; and stepbrother, Jack. He was raised on the family ranch just outside of Belt, MT. He attended Belt Valley High School and graduated in 1951. He married his high school sweetheart, Genevieve Sivumaki in July 1953. He always described this as one of his proudest accomplishments. Floyd never strayed far from the beautiful Belt Valley, only temporarily relocating from 1953-1955 while serving in the US Army stationed at Fort Ord, CA. After returning from California, Floyd and Gen helped run the ranch for over 50 years – Hidden Valley Ranch, Inc. Although farming and ranching was a full-time job, Floyd found time to stay involved in the many sporting events that brought him great joy. He was a Big Sky Conference referee for 32 years. This led him to be selected as head referee of the Mirage Bowl in Tokyo, Japan in 1984 which was one of his proudest accomplishments in the profession. He was inducted into the Big Sky Hall of Fame and MT Hall of Fame for football and basketball, respectively. He formed lifelong friendships with his officiating family including Jack Toy, Jim Simpson, Ken Leland, Gene Cook, Bill Wilkerson, Rev. Phil Caldwell, Froggie Hall, and Terry Cosgrove, to name a few. Floyd also contributed to the MT State Fair for 40 years, serving as Superintendent of the beef barn. It brought him great joy to see his friends in farming and ranching each year and share in conversation over a cold beverage and handful of peanuts. After selling off most of the ranch, Floyd stayed active and involved. He worked as a supervisor for the Cascade County Weed & Mosquito Mgmt. Division for over 20 years; was a MT State Brand Inspector for over 40 years; and finished out his years of employment with Aging Services. Floyd was as charismatic as they come. He had many loves in his life, few greater than his family, his friends, and the Yankees. If you were fortunate enough to be a friend to him, then you had a nickname. He would often reminisce of his great times. Topping the list were his two trips to New York to see his beloved Yankees play. It was always the right time for having a gathering, sharing a laugh, and making memories. There’s no doubt a celebration is taking place as Floyd’s many friends welcome him home. The Marns, Bissells, Guedesses, Thayers and many others are together again, and likely with no shortage of stories to be told. Floyd is survived by his two children, Twila (Jim) Croft and Bryce (Robbin) Dawson; sister, Eleanor (Jake) Seiger; brothers, Bob Dawson and Jack Giles; grandkids, whom he loved dearly, Cord Halmes, Brittany (Nick) Budeski, Bryan (Brittany) Dawson, and Ashley (Matt) Hennager; and his 4 great-grandchildren, within whom he found great joy, Leila and Aker Budeski, and Madyson and Alexander Hennager. Floyd was preceded in death by his wife, Genevieve; his mother, Sadie; and his father, Sam. A celebration of life will take place on Monday, May 24, 2021, at 10:30am at the Belt Park Pavilion with a potluck to follow.As we gather in celebration, out of respect for Floyd, please wear your Yankee or Officiating gear. It is important to note – Yankee fans, welcomed; Red Sox fans, tolerated. If desired, donations in Floyd’s memory can be made to Montana Official’s Association (1 S. Dakota Ave, Helena, MT 59601) or to a charity of the donor’s choice.