Douglas G. Dodson


March 12, 1948 – November 7, 2025

Douglas Grumman Dodson, known to many as “Papa,” was a man of global curiosity, quiet principle, and a deep love for “life’s colorful tapestry”. Born on March 12, 1948, in Houston, Texas, to Joseph Jackson Dodson and Mildred Wolfer Dodson, Doug was a proud graduate of Georgia Tech.

His early career as a civil engineer in the oil industry was a true global odyssey. He engineered and constructed oil platforms and pipelines in some of the world’s harshest environments. Over 15 years, Doug lived abroad across three continents, including Singapore, where he met his wife, Nelia. In 1982, they settled their family in Austin, where Doug worked as a realtor and saved diligently to fulfill his dream of becoming his own boss.

That dream became reality the day after Thanksgiving in November 1989, when he opened the first HobbyTown USA in Austin. Doug did not just open a store; he built a family legacy. He often said, “You never get more out of something than you put into it,” and he lived that belief every day. He viewed the store as a “family farm,” where his children, Chris, Tim, and Casey, began working at young ages, learning the value of hard work and the importance of doing things right the first time.

Outside of business, Doug was a man of adventure and curiosity. An avid sailor, he navigated the Caribbean with his daughter Casey aboard his catamaran, Durabo, sharing his love of exploration and teaching lessons that extended far beyond the water. He later fell in love with Argentina, captivated by its rugged beauty and the spirit of the “End of the World,” a place that held special meaning in his heart. Whether tinkering with a reluctant diesel engine, convinced the problem was always “fuel, fuel, or fuel,” or donating penny gliders to the Hill Country Aeromodelers, he lived by the philosophy that “any day on which you learn something is a good day.”

Doug was a lifelong reader, rarely without a book nearby. Wherever his travels took him, he faithfully wrote and shared stories with those closest to him, bringing them along through his words and reflections. He believed deeply that learning was one of life’s greatest privileges.

He is survived by his wife, Nelia Dodson; his sisters, Sue Pitzer and her husband Lowell, and Anne Burguet and her husband Richard; his children, Chris Dodson and his wife Vy, Tim Dodson and his wife Alma, and Casey Dodson; and his granddaughters, Olivia and Elena, who will forever remember his steady hand and adventurous heart.

Ciao.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/douglas-dodson-dodson/obituary/

Copy