Floyd L. Dawson, 87, passed peacefully surrounded by his family on March 20, 2021, at the Peace Hospice House in Great Falls. A celebration of life service will take place on Monday, May 24, 2021, at 10:30 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.
Floyd was born on June 28, 1933, to Sadie Miller and Floyd (Sam) Dawson. 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.
Floyd also contributed to the MT State Fair for 40 years, serving as Superintendent of the beef barn. 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.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the Schnider Funeral Home website.
