Fremd mourns loss of one of its major boosters
Fremd High School has lost one of its biggest supporters.
Only weeks after his oldest son, Michael, graduated from Fremd, Michael Dotson passed away suddenly on Wednesday. The Palatine resident was 47.
Officials within the Fremd community last week were struggling to come to terms with the news. They remembered Mr. Dotson as a leading contributor to the school and an avid supporter of all of its activities.
"He was one of our No. 1 fans," says Karen Flis of Palatine, who volunteered with Mr. Dotson and his wife, Jean. "He was a really great guy."
Officials with Fremd's Viking Booster Club vividly recalled Mr. Dotson's contributions to their annual dinner dance, their major fundraiser for the school's clubs and sports teams.
Rick Mottweiler of Palatine, Booster president, said club members resolved to fundraise for all of the activities at the school - from the fine arts, to academics, to sports - and they tried hard to overcome their perception as just athletic boosters.
"Our mission is to support all the kids at Fremd," Mottweiler says. "Last year we contributed $150,000 to 42 different clubs, arts organizations and sports."
Mr. Dotson supported that broad mission wholeheartedly, he added.
"He was one of our most generous donors, every year," Mottweiler added.
Away from the school community, Mr. Dotson was an active member - and accomplished golfer - at Kemper Lakes Golf Club in Kildeer.
Janet Dobson, the club's general manager, says Mr. Dotson played on the club's first team that competed last year in the North District Golf League against such surrounding clubs as Medinah, Twin Orchards and Royal Melbourne. as well as Lake Barrington Shores, among others.
Mr. Dotson and the Kemper Lakes team took first place in the league before dominating the league championship tournament, held at Kemper Lakes, Dobson added.
They went onto win divisional rounds in the North Shore, Midwest, and Southern regions, before winning the state's Inter-League Championship title.
"Mike's loyalty to Kemper Lakes and the Inter League, brought the prestigious Chick Evans Trophy to its new home at the club," Dobson said.
She added that Mr. Dotson had recorded his first two holes-in one within six months of each other in 2006. The first came in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, before he did it again at a course in Arizona.
"Mike and his wife, Jean, celebrated many happy occasions at the club," Dobson added, "including their son, Michael's graduation party just a few short weeks ago."
Besides his wife and son, Mr. Dotson is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth, as well as his siblings, Kerry (Sharon), Gary (Gerry), Tim (Jean) and Paula (Gary) Eaves, and his mother, Nadean.
Mr. Dotson will lie in state beginning at 9 a.m. today before an 11 a.m. funeral service at Hammerschmidt Chapel of Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., in Elmhurst.