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Walter Dawe

He has a shirt that says, “Genuine Antique Person: Been there, done that, can’t remember.” and finds it is more often truth than funny. Born in 1933, he was in his prime in the 50’s with his rolled sleeved tee shirt, blue jeans and leather biker's cap, sitting on his Harley.

Despite having a traditional family of both parents and three siblings, his deafness and living at the Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint, Michigan, throughout childhood and teenage years made him family to the Deaf Community. His preferred mode of communication was and still is American Sign Language, but he feels comfortable among Deaf and hearing alike. He remembers his days at home with his family as happy ones where all but his father knew and used ASL with him and his deaf sister, he yet treasures memories of life at the residential school.

Training and graduation from MSD in 1952 prepared him for early jobs at the auto factories. He worked circles around coworkers and soon had too much sit-around time to be satisfied; he left searching for something more fulfilling.

His heart was in tasks that used his hands and his mind: lumber and construction. He became self-emplyoyed in lumbering for 6 years and then later switched to working drywall. In the 70’s, he and his wife, upon advice from trusted friends and family, took the risk once more and formed their own business, Dawe’s Drywall. This business supported them and their 2 children for almost 20 years before moving to St. Helen in 1989.

Over the years Walt has pursued jobs of woodworking, construction, mechanics, timbering, sawmilling, and truck driving. He has spent his life first in all school sports, followed by bowling, motorcycling, snowmobiling, and dune buggying... with a brief interest in fishing and hunting. He is not as wild or as open to challenges as in past days, yet he still has a love for adventure, a keen mind, and an unimaginable sense of humor. He still has a few toys; his favorite one is his Honda Gold Wing that he won in 1996.

Present hobbies include:

• building gifts to share from his wood shop
• traveling just about anywhere the trails will take him
• racing the cat to his favorite Lazy Boy chair.

He is proud to be a good example of a successful Deaf person. Whether taking college classes for fun and knowledge, working with students who are learning to sign, leading snofari groups, or acting as tour guide, Walt does so with excitement and humor. He welcomes visitors, then eagerly shows them the many building and remodeling jobs, the wood creations all around him, or tells of all the “Been there... done that!” events (the ones he can remember) and to prove that he can indeed do ANYTHING but HEAR!