William Bryan Dickerson

Bill Dickerson was born July 1, 1938 in Paintsville, Kentucky. He spent his formative years and early married life in Lexington. He played varsity basketball and baseball at Lafayette High School and graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.

After a stint of three years as a high school teacher, he joined IBM. He started his thirty-year IBM career as a sales rep in central Kentucky. He taught at IBM’s sales school and developed a training program for new managers in the rapidly growing company. He ended his IBM career as an HR manager in Maryland.

More important than his work history is his life history. Bill Dickerson was passionate about things. He was passionate about little things like crossword puzzles and books, he was passionate about big things like elections and his country, he was deeply passionate about personal things like his wife and his family.

His history of service to his community is extensive. It began in 1967 when he led IBM’s United Way campaign. The campaign was so successful that he was named Lexington’s “Outstanding Young Man for 1967” by the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. He served several years with Volunteers in Corrections helping ex-convicts return to society and get on their feet. He served on the board of directors of the Florence Crittenden Home which helped young unwed mothers start life with their new child in a positive, healthy way. He was a big brother who aided and guided young men without a father in their life.

In 1997, Bill and Laura retired and moved to Williamsburg, Virginia. They loved the ebb and flow of living in such a storied college town and made a multitude of new friends while they held on tightly to old ones. His spirit of community service rekindled, he dove in as a volunteer at FISH, Inc, a small but rapidly growing food bank. He served at FISH for 11 years, serving four as president of the board. He was so touched by the kindness shown to his beloved mother in her last few months, he took on a job as a hospice volunteer. This was a tough job for Bill because he loved building close bonds with new friends and due to the nature of the work, the bonds were usually broken in a matter of weeks or a few short months. He often spoke with love and sadness about the people he spent time with at the end of their lives. He fulfilled what he considered to be a sacred civic duty, serving as a voting precinct chief for eight years in all types of elections.

Bill was predeceased by his mother, Nancy Finlayson Stapleton Jones, her husband and Bill’s devoted stepfather Robert K. Jones, and his older brother, James Michael Dickerson, all of Lexington. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Laurelee Vry Dickerson, their two sons, Bryan and Andrew, their wives Colleen and Susan, and four grandchildren, Mary Grace Dickerson, John “Jack” Dickerson, Lauren Dickerson, and Megan Dickerson.

Bryan and Drew want to thank and publicly acknowledge Mom’s dedication to Dad as his health declined in his later years. You are the very embodiment of what marriage is about – self-sacrifice and undying devotion.

A memorial service will be held to honor Bill on January 6, 2024, at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Road, Williamsburg. Donations can be made in Bill’s name to FISH Inc., 312 Second St., Williamsburg, VA 23185.