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William Joseph (Bill) Dickerson of Bartlesville died peacefully Tuesday morning December 4, 2012. Bill was born March 20, 1927 in Flint, Michigan to Alexander Sparks (formerly Alexandros Spatharis) and Amy Funk Sparks. At the age of three months he was adopted by Frank and Hazel Dickerson. Bill was raised in Ogden, Ks and attended Manhattan High School. In 1943, at age 16, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was stationed at San Diego for his basic training and then saw extensive action in the South Pacific. After the end of WWII, he served in China for 11 months during the repatriation of the Chinese.
Upon his discharge from the Marine Corps in 1946 he returned to Manhattan High School and graduated with the class of 1947. He received his BS degree in 1955 from Kansas State University and began his banking career, which took him to California, Missouri, Kansas and finally Oklahoma, where he retired in1998.
Bill was always an involved member of the communities in which he lived. In Bartlesville he was a volunteer at Mary Martha Outreach, a member of the China, Burma, India Association of Bartlesville, a member of the American Legion Honor Guard Funeral Detail and a life member of the American Legion Post in Ogden, Ks. He was very proud to have been an instrumental part of the design and creation of the Wall of Honor at Washington Park Mall in Bartlesville. The four years he spent working on the memorial to veterans who had served in all branches of the military were very important to him.
Bill was married to Marianne Pierce in 1951. They divorced. He and the former Ardene Heim were married in 1979. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, three sisters and an infant daughter, Erin Rae Dickerson in 1970.
He is survived by his wife, Ardene, of the home, one son, William Dickerson II and his wife Kristi of Lenexa, Ks, three daughters, Jerolyn Noble (Charles) of Tulsa, Angelique Morrison (William) of Leawood, Ks, Dawn Yarnell (Lyndall) of Topeka, Ks. Nine grandchildren, Jamie Casper, Christopher Noble, Shane Morrison, Eric Morrison, Kristi Lefler, Cara Dickerson, Taryn Dickerson, Bret Dickerson, Kailey Yarnell and one step-grandson, Deigan Burns. Seven great-grandchildren, Ava and Kellen Casper, Jack Noble, Ella and Olivia Morrison, and Nicholas and Jace Lefler, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wednesday and 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thursday. A Rosary will be held at 7:00 P.M., Thursday in the Stumpff Funeral Home Chapel. A funeral Mass is scheduled at St. James Catholic Church , 5500 SE Douglas Lane, Bartlesville at 10:00 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, St. Mary's, Ks at 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Bill's memory to Mary Martha Outreach, 1845 SW 4th St., Bartlesville, Ok 74005 or to the Autism Society-The Heartland, PO Box 860984, Shawnee, Ks 66286-0984. Friends who wish may sign the online guest book and leave condolences at Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory.
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