John Lewis Dabney Sr.

John attended and graduated from Alabama State University, where he joined the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and where he met his college sweetheart, Bettye, who later became his wife of 48 years. After completing his degree at Alabama State, John and Bettye started a new life together in Orlando Florida. There, they had two children, Johnny and Angela. After living in Orlando for a few years, John and Bettye left with their two children and came to California. There, John continued his teaching career as an Art Instructor at Ramona High School in Riverside, CA. John received his Master’s Degree from Loma Linda University. After 4 years at Ramona High School, John moved into Higher Education and accepted a position as an Assistant Professor at San Bernardino Valley College teaching History. John worked his way up through the ranks to Full Professor and later into College Administration working as a Dean over the Social Sciences Division. There he continued to work as a College Dean until his retirement in 2001.

Throughout his career, John touched many young lives and was seen as a leader not only among his peers but in society. This was shown by his willingness to help others through his belief and philosophy of the “Drum Major Instinct”. The Drum Major Instinct, which came from one of Martin Luther King’s sermons explores the innate human desire to be out front, to lead and to be first.

John was Polemarch for the Kappa Alpha Psi San Bernardino Alumni Chapter, where he and other Fraternity brothers formulated “Guide Right”, an educational program to help young men in the area to realize that the future development of our society depends upon a well- trained mind and a dependable people. John was also involved in the Esquire Club that helped school dropouts. This club was created by his fraternity that helped to correct anti-social behavior patterns in misguided youths. John wrote the first Black History Program for the Riverside Unified School District. He was also involved in the California Teachers Association, NAACP, co-advisor of Human Relations at Ramona High School and a member of Lodge 921 of Free and Accepted Masons. John was also an eloquent speaker who was paid to speak on many occasions throughout the community. Some have described John as “Live Wire”, “Most industrious Polemarch I have ever seen”,” A leader among many.” In his spare time, John loved to play golf and was an avid golfer where he played golf weekly at Canyon Crest Country Club where he and his family were members for many years. John played in many tournaments at the club with his son and wife and even received an award for making a hole-in-one.

John was preceded in death by his brothers Jimmie and Joseph, his sisters Rose, Laura, Marguerite and Dora.

John leaves behind his son, Johnny of Riverside, daughter Angela of Moreno Valley, grandson Jordan Michael, of San Marcos, Sister-in Law Dorothy Jackson of Riverside, Sister-in-law Gwendolyn Yvonne Brown of Chicago, and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. John will be greatly missed.