Obituary - Dorothy Sturzenberger Dickieson
Dorothy Sturzenberger Dickieson
Dorothy Sturzenberger Dickieson 8/6/1923 - 9/27/2023
Dorothy S. Dickieson died on September 27, 2023, in the presence of family and friends. Dorothy was born on August 6, 1923, to Anton and Barbara Sturzenberger in Queens, NY. She is survived by her two daughters Christine Pesses (David), and Catherine Jovinelly (Alan), her 6 grandchildren Ruth (Rafael), Emily (Brendan), Elizabeth (Alan), Sarah, Jennifer, Eric, and 5 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Samuel Dickieson after 66 years of marriage.
Dorothy moved at 8 years old with her family to a rural community in the Hudson Valley when her father lost his job in the Great Depression. She helped her parents grow their own food and raise chickens. Growing up in the country was quite different from the city, including needing to attend a one-room schoolhouse through 8th grade.
Dorothy believed in the importance of education, graduating from Kingston High School in ’41, and working for 2 years after high school to earn enough to attend Albany State Teachers’ College (’47). Dorothy was always seeking new things to learn. Over the years, she took Cooperative Extension classes in sewing, cooking, and knitting. She took swimming lessons as an adult after a life of being afraid of the water. She was a part-time remedial reading teacher, then at 50 went back to get her Master's degree from Alfred University in guidance. She developed a children’s program for learning disabilities at Romulus Central School district, teaching there for 7 years. She served as a guidance counselor at Mynderse Academy for 11 years before retiring in 1993. She became a certified Master Gardner after retiring and took over the garden from Sam. She could be found many days on her hands and knees planting new flowers and weeding. At age 80, Dorothy started piano lessons and enjoyed playing even after moving to Ferris Hills in Canandaigua.
Dorothy and her husband Samuel made Seneca Falls their home for 62 years. Dorothy was a strong believer in the value of contributing to the community. She was executive director of the Seneca County Red Cross for 3 years, on several boards including the Seneca County Community Board, Literacy Volunteers of America, and Delta Kappa Gamma, and worked to promote and train interns as chair of The National Women’s Hall of Fame’s Internship Committee, and volunteered for the Women’s Rights National Historical Park. With their combined volunteer activities, only some listed here, the community chose Dorothy and Sam as recipients of the George Baily Award in 2011.
Dorothy was an avid reader, journalist, and poet. She wrote her thoughts down in shorthand, a skill she learned in high school. We now have many booklets of typed poems to enjoy when she realized no one would read them. Her dream to travel was realized when she retired and despite Sam’s complaints, they enjoyed many trips with Dorothy studying the history of every place before they left.
Our memories of Mom, Grandma, and Great-Grandma will be shared over the years through the lessons we learned: to value lifelong learning and to always reach for your dreams. Going to college, having a family, traveling, living past 100… those were her dreams. She did all those things and more.
A memorial service for Dorothy Dickieson will take place at the First Presbyterian Church in Seneca Falls on November 21, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. A reception will be held afterward in the basement Social Hall. Please, in lieu of flowers, make contributions to either the Seneca Falls Public Library, the House of Concern, or the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
www.Sanderson-Moore Funeral Home.com
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