Dawson Alexander Solly
Dawson Alexander Solly passed away in his sleep due to complications arising from Type 1 Diabetes on February 10, 2016 in Helena, MT. Son of Brad and Kirsten Solly and younger brother of Troy, he was born in Seattle on March 16, 1994.
Dawson lived an abundant life, filling each day with an appreciation for the great outdoors and working towards goals as concrete as completing his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering at Carroll College (Class of 2016) and as fleeting as making sure he turned at least one frown into a grin each day. Dawson spread kindness wherever he went, a mischievous spirit and loving soul housed inside an athletic 6’ 2” body. He rarely passed up an opportunity to tell an admittedly bad joke or confound his friends with a card trick in order to brighten their day.
Dawson was especially close to his family, finding joy in the everyday things they did together like cooking up a fantastic meat-laden meal, hiking in the woods near his home in Issaquah, playing in the snow with his dog Luna, or being on the water at Lake Sawyer and Puget Sound. Dawson had an appreciation for the simple things in life that was well beyond his years. He often stopped what he was doing to watch the sunset – taking in this natural wonder was enough to restore his spirit at the end of a long day filled with hard work. He would share these moments by taking a picture of the sky, adding a few reflective words of his own and sending it out to friends and family, sharing the peace he was feeling and hoping they would feel it too.
Dawson was selfless. He did not hesitate to pitch in and work hard for the good of the team, whether by taking up the obscure bassoon for the Liberty High School Band or being the first to take on the Hammer Throw event for the Carroll College Track and Field team. His habit of setting clear goals for himself and his dedication to get the most out of every practice inspired his teammates on the Liberty Football, Basketball, and Track Teams. Dawson was also diligent in the classroom, making the Dean’s List at Carroll College and earning multiple scholar-athlete awards while attending Liberty. He was proud to call himself a Nerd and felt lucky to have found a second home at Carroll.
When he wasn’t studying or working out, he pursued his interests in photography, drawing, golfing, biking, hiking, magic tricks, and following his favorite sports teams. He never outgrew his delight in building with Legos, reading Harry Potter and watching Star Wars movies.
At the age of 14 he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Facing such a health challenge at an early age deepened his experience of life. He understood much at 21 that many who grow old do not: that how we see the world is a choice. Dawson marched forward through each day and chose to be positive, chose to be kind, chose to appreciate what he had and not to dwell on the rest. The seeds of his kindness have been planted and will continue to grow in the hearts of all who knew him.
Besides his parents and brother, Dawson leaves behind his paternal grandparents Bruce and Nancy Solly of Black Diamond WA, maternal grandparents Ken and Joan Fulton of Vashon Island WA, his sister-in-law-to-be Kathleen Mulligan, His Uncles and Aunts: Eric and Donna Solly, Themis and Stacey (Fulton) Kyriakides and cousins Nick and Nate Solly as well as Cleo and Maya Kyriakides. He also leaves behind Bettie Edwards, Richard and Ann Stemwell, and many members of the Carroll College and the Liberty High School Communities who taught him, coached him and befriended him.
Friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life service to be held Saturday, February 20 at 11:00 am in The New Life Church at 15711 152nd Ave. SE in Renton, WA.
Memorial Donations may be made to The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation JRDF (https://www2.jdrf.org/site/Donation2?idb=50472630&df_id=2374&mfc_pref=T&2374.donation=form1), Carroll College, 1601 North Benton Ave, Helena MT 59625 (noting Track & Field/Dawson Solly) in the memo line or visit https: //www.advancement.carroll.edu/SSLPage.aspx?pid=197. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Dawson.
