Dwight A. Daughton Sr.

Longtime Baltimore City employee was also a Baptist minister

Dwight Anthony Daughton Sr., a longtime Baltimore City employee and Baptist minister, died April 23 shortly after he came home from work. He was 64.

Mr. Daughton worked for the City of Baltimore for over 25 years, mostly in the Department of Public Works. His last position was as the acting director of the Mayor’s Commission on Disabilities.

He was born and raised in Baltimore, the son of Thelma Ryals and stepson of John Ryals, and attended Northern High School.

He obtained his GED and served in the U.S. Army National Guard between 1975 and 1979, and worked as a newspaper and business delivery driver in Baltimore until he slipped and fell, severely injuring his back in 1992. He then began a long career with Baltimore City.

He married Florence “Lou” Williams, on March 15, 1980, and they raised their four children in Baltimore near Barclay Street and North Avenue. He and his wife enjoyed travel, humor, games and movies.

After his injury, Mr. Daughton had multiple back surgeries and worked for the last 13 years out of a wheelchair, but his health never deterred him from hard work or life.

“He worked till the day he died,” said his son Eric Daughton. “On days that I didn’t want to go to work, I would think of what he did just to get to work.”

His children said he would go to work with an oxygen tank and in a wheelchair. He still drove his car to work, church and the store. “I never remember him not going to work unless he was in the hospital,” his son said.

He taught his children the importance of persistence, taking care of family and always having a job that put “legitimate” money in their pockets.

Former Baltimore City colleague Cherlye Kendall said he was “so much fun” and “helpful.” When they interacted with residents over public works infrastructure complaints, she said, residents would often request talking to him because he was so helpful. He was also generous, she said, giving part of his lunch to custodians or whoever else needed it.

“He would do anything for anybody. If he had it, he would give it to you,” she said.

His eldest daughter, Arlethia DupreeJones, said her father became a pseudo father and mentor to seven children who were friends of hers and her siblings and had lost parents of their own. “He loved them as his own,” she said.

Colleagues and relatives described him as a “joyful” person who always laughed and as a “prankster.”

Mrs. Dupree-Jones said he would call her and others up pretending to be a bill collector or some other personality. “He was always a joker. That is a part we will really miss about him,” she said.

He was also fashionable, wearing nice shirts, ties and hats. Mrs. Dupree-Jones said he would not leave the house without a hat.

Mr. Daughton became an associate minister for the Historic St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Baltimore in 2008. His first sermon was from the book of Jonah, where he spoke about how “you can run but you can’t hide.” Years later, his daughter Mrs. Dupree-Jones followed with the same message during her initial sermon as a pastor in West Virginia.

His mother is an apostle at Zebulun Temple Ministries, which Mr. Daughton temporarily led for several months in 2015 while she was ill.

In addition to his mother, wife, son and daughter, Mr. Daughton is survived by another daughter, Precious Daughton; another son, Dwight Jr. “Tony” Daughton; brothers Glen Daughton, Ricky Daughton, Jeffrey Daughton and Mark Ryals; sister, Karen Ryals; 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life service will be Monday at Historic St. Paul Community Baptist Church, 1901 E. Federal St., with the wake beginning at 10:30 a.m. and the celebration of life service beginning at 11 a.m. Mr. Daughton “was always a joker. That is a part we will really miss ...” a daughter said.