Lynell Berkeley Dickerman

Lynell Berkeley Dickerman, 75 years of age, died peacefully in his sleep on May 26, 2018, in the home he shared with his wife, Terry. Lynell had been battling cancer, supremely grateful for Terry’s love and support which gave him the strength to fight and sustained him over these last months. Terry had returned to college and he was always very proud and supportive of her stellar academic career alongside her working as a home health care nurse, many times commenting that he couldn’t figure out how she managed to do it all and still keep smiling.

Lynell grew up in the Adirondacks in Upstate New York. When he was two years old, Gerald H. Greene was the pastor of the little SDA church where he attended with his mother, Dorcas (LaMountain) Dickerman, brother, Eugene Dickerman, and occasionally his father, Eugene Francis "Dick" Dickerman. The family moved to Syracuse, New York when Lynell was in the second grade. He attended and graduated from the SDA church school there. Lynell had a big heart even as a young man. After his brother left home, Lynell helped his father continue to adjust from coming home from the war and actually went to AA meetings to support his father’s sobriety. Lynell attended Union Springs Academy where he met his present wife, Terralyn (Greene) Dickerman. They dated for two and a half years before going their separate ways.

He and his brother, Eugene, spent summers growing up with their grandparents, Mim and Pip, in the Adirondacks. Pip taught him many of the skills and talents that made him the versatile person he became. From Pip’s guidance Lynell could build a home, remodel anything, earned his mastery of plumbing, and could figure out how to create whatever anyone wanted in the way of construction.

Just after high school he met and married Marion Robert, the mother of his three children. They raised a family in New York and moved to Texas after the passing of his own father. Lynell’s children called his father, Puppa, and when they grew to have their own children, Puppa is what Lynell’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren knew him by also (or Santa Puppa as his great-grand-daughters, Bailee and Addie fondly called him). In their early years together, Lynell joined the Navy where he served four years in the Vietnam Era. Lynell traveled the world while in the Navy and was very proud of his service to his country.

Living in Texas near his brother, Eugene, and his family, Lynell brought his children to the beach almost every weekend and taught them to netfish; flounder was one of his favorites. Lynell was active in his church in Texas where they all attended together as a family. Moving to Maryland they helped Marion’s mother with her elder-care business. Lynell’s mother was a nurse; he grew up being familiar with the health field and was fond of the elderly, many times helping his mother at the nursing home where she worked. Eventually, Lynell and Marion opened their own successful home for the elderly in Virginia until they divorced when his eldest daughter, Tammy, was about 13. As an adult, he gleaned great satisfaction from providing care for the elderly, including his mother who he cared for in his home with Terry until Dorcas’s passing.

Marion was in a serious car accident in the early 80s; Lynell returned to help with the children and helped care for her, where they reconnected during her recovery. They built a camp on land they bought near his childhood home in Plattsburgh. Lynell loved working the land there, especially because it brought him closer to his brother and his family where they had relocated from Texas. Lynell’s cousin, Leaf Larrabee, also had a camp right next to his camp. They were more like brothers then “just” cousins. They grew up super-close and remained so especially as adults when they started families of their own. Lynell and Leaf loved talking and laughing together and hunting and fishing together, so much so that Lynell actually brought Leaf on his honeymoon with Marion – to go hunting! Although they were very different people, they appreciated that about each other. Lynell hired Tammy’s first husband, Charles Bluewolf, to work for him cutting timber and caring for the camp while he continued his Culligan work in Troy knowing Leaf would be right there if any emergencies arose.

Lynell worked in every capacity at Culligan Soft Water in New York, Texas, Virginia, and Maryland, finally finding his way back to New York. He was known in the Culligan business as the guy who knew how to fix any water conditioner by being told how it was acting. He finished his career with Culligan by being an independent installer. His son, Berkeley, daughter, Melissa, and occasionally, his nephew, “Sonny” Dickerman, worked with him. He shared his skills and expertise with his children and nephew creating a very efficient, family team.

In 1990 Lynell and Terralyn, better known as Terry, reunited after not seeing each other for thirty years, married, and relocated to Tennessee. Together they have a blended family of 6 children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They were married for 29 years.

He belonged to the Cedar Ridge SDA church in Georgetown, Tennessee. The church was built in the early 1990's. Lynell donated six-days-a-week leading in construction of the sanctuary. When the contractor found out Lynell was donating all his time the contractor said if Lynell could do it, so would he. He made Lynell the foreman and Lynell took all his orders from him and directed the construction crew. He did this without any compensation for eleven months. He was a very dedicated worker for the Lord. Lynell joined mission trips to Belize several times to help construction on the SDA Mission there. He loved to visit and bring food to some of the families in the surrounding area. They loved to entertain him and feed him. He was very touched by their generosity and also the depth of their poverty.

Lynell and Paul Roesel took Lynell’s grandson, Denver, and three other special teenage boys to Alaska to camp and fish for several weeks one summer. Denver still has the scrapbook of his adventures with his grandfather in Alaska and Lynell cherished that time with his grandson. They slept in tents, went hiking and fishing, and prepared their meals over a campfire. Lynell had a special place in his heart for children and he became a surrogate father, grandfather and friend to many children/teenagers who needed him.

Two nieces, Elspeth Greene and Michelle Loiacono were taken in at different times for their four years in high school. Lynell and Terry became their surrogate parents and they were treated like they were born to them. Their lives were changed forever with the paths they chose because of the acceptance of them and the love and support given as they struggled to change the pattern of their lives.

When Chris McLaughlin lost both of his parents he went to live with the Dickerman’s and he was accepted as another one of their children receiving love and support as he struggled with his life decisions.

Lynell’s daughter, Melissa and her children lived with him and Terry for several years. Lynell and Terry helped his grand-children with their life choices. Lynell’s grandson, Schuyler, especially loved helping his grandfather around the house and property when Lynell couldn’t do as much as he used to. Lynell loved being able to hand down to Schuyler some of his life-skills.

All of the grandchildren had a standing invitation to spend their summers with the Tennessee grandparents and they were delighted to spend time with their grandfather. They were taught how to chop and stack wood, carpentry skills, ways of looking at life positively, and how to enjoy life. Tanner especially remembers his time with his grandfather, learning the value of a good day’s work, manners, and of course, learning Newsies by heart. Lynell eagerly taught them all he knew about life, politics, religion, carpentry, and how to survive in life. He loved to introduce his grandchildren to the surrounding parks, battlegrounds and the history of them, the joy of watching the people on gliders swooping down from the skies, and especially the visits to the Chattanooga Aquarium. The last two times he accompanied his grandchildren in a wheelchair. He loved to see their faces as they enjoyed the wildlife.

With his children living in New York and North Carolina it wasn’t always easy (or often) to visit each other in person. Over the years, Lynell and Terry regularly made annual trips out for the Union Springs Academy reunion and would visit with his children along the way as well as his family in the Saranac area. Even though his family lived far apart, Lynell always kept in touch with phone calls and facebook, and even once in a while texting! He loved seeing pictures and videos of all his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, watching them grow and begin families of their own. His children, several grand-children, and some of his great-grandchildren were able to make trips to visit in March. Lynell’s son, Berkeley, made an almost monthly trip to spend time with his father; Lynell cherished all these last special visits as did his children.

Lynell Berkeley Dickerman is remembered with love by his wife, Terralyn (Greene) Dickerman and her children; Jon Conibear I and his 2 children, Jon Conibear II, Elizabeth Conibear and her daughter, Bella Fish; Scott Conibear; JoAnne (Conibear) Tessier, and JoAnne’s son, Matthew Tessier.

Lynell’s second wife, (deceased) Lorraine Stacci (Heusler) Dickerman, Lynell’s step-son, Daniel Heusler, Dan’s 2 children, Dan Heusler, Jr and Josh Heusler; Lynell’s step-daughters, Dawn (Heusler) Cusano and Dawn’s daughter, Ashleylynne Stott; Mary Jo St. Andrew and husband (deceased) Joe and their 3 children, Andrew, Desiree, Joey (deceased).

Lynell’s first wife (deceased), Marion (Robert) Dickerman, and their 3 children: Tammy (Dickerman) Bluewolf-Kennedy, her husband, Glenn Kennedy, and their 2 children, Jeremy Kennedy and Rhys Kennedy; Tammy’s first (deceased) husband, Charles Bluewolf, and their 4 children: Dakota Bluewolf, Denver Bluewolf, Tanner Bluewolf, and Ciara Bluewolf; Melissa (Dickerman) Patterson and Brian Patterson and their 3 children: Stevie Rae Patterson, Brian “Schuyler” Patterson, Shawnee Patterson, and Marcia Patterson; Lynell Berkeley Dickerman and McKenzie Williams and their 2 children: Madison Dickerman and Jacob Dickerman; Berkeley and first partner, Tammy Rood, and their 2 children: Alex Dickerman and Ashley (Dickerman) Little.

Lynell is also survived by several great-grandchildren: Rylee Bluewolf-Eddy (parents, Dakota Bluewolf and Brandi Eddy); Brennan Bluewolf and Bailee Bluewolf (parents, Denver Bluewolf and Samantha Frederick); Connor Bluewolf (parents, Tanner Bluewolf and Victoria Colbert); Adalise Bluewolf-Zupan (parents, Ciara Bluewolf and Tom Zupan); Lillyan Dickerman (deceased) and Isaac Dickerman (parents, Alex Dickerman and Beth Skinner); Elleanna Little (parents, Ashley (Dickerman) Little and Ryan Little)

Lynell will be survived by 2 additional great-grandchildren who will make their arrivals later this year: Stevie Rae Patterson and Kevin Dragulski are having a daughter, Kezia Patterson-Dragulski, in September; Ashley (Dickerman) Little and Ryan Little are having a son, Isaiah Little, in July.

Lynell loved and was so proud of all his family, bonus families, extended family, and family-friends. He is awaiting Jesus return, will hear that glorious command to come forth from his grave, and join his loved ones as they make their way to the feet of Jesus. They will rise in the sky together to make their journey to Heaven. May we all make our decisions to join Lynell in this final journey with Jesus is my prayer.

All are invited to share condolences and memories of Lynell with his family at his online Memorial at www.companionfunerals.com. Companion Funeral and Cremation Service and the Cody family are honored to assist the Dickerman family with these arrangements.