The family suggests memorials in Joe's honor by made to the Michael J Fox Foundation website, please visit https://tribute.michaeljfox.org/tribute-page.php?id=2480%26n-p=true

Joe Austin Dodson Jr. was born on October 27th, 1946, to Joe Dodson Sr. & Charlotte (Day) Dodson in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He spent his early life growing up in Oklahoma City with his parents, and three brothers, David, Ben, and Charles. Joe was always very active, whether it was at the family restaurant, Dodson's Cafeteria, at times playing the organ for patrons, involved in various sports, or attending church with his family and friends. He was highly accomplished in all facets of his life, including being a lifetime elder of the Presbyterian Church, and would go on to have a long-storied career for which he was very proud, but the greatest source of happiness in his life was family, friends, and gardening.

While attending the University of Oklahoma he met the love of his life, Dianne, and they were married in June 1969 which began a life truly worth living. They would move throughout the country, wherever his educational endeavors or professional aspirations would take them. One of those endeavors was earning his PhD in Business & Marketing from Purdue University in 1974. Joe went on to work as an assistant professor at Northwestern University, teaching MBA courses in marketing & advertising before he was offered, and accepted, a job at N.W. Ayer Advertising in New York City where he rose to be an Executive VP. On January 2nd, 1985, Joe & Dianne welcomed their daughter, Kathryn, into their lives.

After a 10-year career Joe joined US West in 1987, which led to a long career working for various cellular companies throughout the country and would eventually lead he and his family to the Northwest, where they would ultimately settle and call their home. In 1999 he retired from his professional career as Senior VP for Verizon before returning to a life of teaching, this time at the University of Washington teaching for the Executive Business Program. Joe loved to garden and was so inspired by his own award-winning garden that he opened his own landscape design company.

On October 17th, 2022, Joe passed away from Parkinson's in Bellevue, Washington. He is survived by his wife, Dianne, their daughter, Kathryn, and her husband, Patrick Campbell, as well as his son, Chris. He is also survived by his three brothers David, and his wife Sue (and their family), Ben (and his family), and Charles, and his wife Diane (and their family). Joe is preceded in death by his mother and father, Charlotte & Joe Dodson Sr.