Beverly Townsend Rawson-Dibble, 99, of Satellite Beach, Fla., passed away peacefully on Feb. 9, 2023. She was born on Jan. 20, 1924, in Boothbay Harbor, the daughter of George Martin Townsend and Dorothy Lee Reed.
She was a direct descendant of Col. Andrew Reed, who was instrumental in establishing the first permanent settlement in Boothbay in the mid-1700s. She was raised in Portland, and a proud graduate of Portland High School, after which she was employed by the general manager of Maine Central Railroad. She met her future husband, Donald H. Rawson, of Scarborough, when she was 16. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1939, as a pilot, and was called back to the United States to train United States Army Air Corp pilots in 1940 in support of our allies in World War II. They were married March 11, 1944.
As a U.S. Army Air Corp, and later U.S. Air Force, couple they traveled the world with their ever-expanding family of seven children. Donald retired in 1965, to an ancestral farm on Streaked Mountain in South Paris, and embarked upon a career in the harness horse racing business. Upon retiring from the horse racing business in 1971, Donald and Beverly moved to Satellite Beach, Fla. While in Florida, Beverly attended Brevard College, and in 1980, Donald passed away.
Beverly was actively involved in the Cocoa Beach Community Church, as a longtime member and President of the Women’s Fellowship, and sang in the choir. Contemporaneously she was a member of the Boothbay Region Historical Society, the Retired Officers Genealogy Society, Vice President of the U.S. Cavalry Association, and the Cape Canaveral Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, where she received a certificate of appreciation and two awards for outstanding service.
While an active member of these various societies, she met retired Army Col. John “Jack” Dibble, who was also an Army aviator. Jack maintained that her strength and grace were captivating, and they were married April 20, 1997. Theirs was a good life together. They had many happy years with their shared service and leadership in several civic and military organizations they supported, along with their love for travel, especially to Maine.
She volunteered for far too many organizations to include here, but a few to highlight are the Red Cross, local school clinics, troop leaderships for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Brownies. She was also a founding member of the Cape Canaveral Daughters of the American Revolution.
Beverly was predeceased by her parents, George and Dorothy Townsend; siblings, Blanche, George, Delores, and Cecil; sons, Craig Rawson and wife, Betty, Bruce Rawson and wife, Cindi; great-grandsons, Dylan and Blake; and Lt. Col. Donald H. Rawson and Col. Jack Dibble.
Beverly is survived by her children, Donna Woods, Jeffrey Rawson and wife, J’Anne, Valerie Alfano and husband, Artie, Stephen Rawson and wife, Cheryl, Terry Pettit and husband, Rick, 16 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Locally, she is survived by two dear cousins, Larry H. Reed, of Walpole, and Dr. Stephen Reed, of Pemaquid Point.
Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
