Helen Rose Dickinson, 79, formerly of Oak Park, died on Nov. 30, 2024 at Sancta Maria Nursing Facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was born in Skowhegan, Maine on Feb. 6, 1945, the daughter of George and Ruth Brown Dickinson of Norridgewock.
Helen grew up in Norridgewock, Maine on a dairy farm. She was the fourth of seven children — two boys and five girls. She liked to note that although there was no pony, the family farm had lots of cows, working cats, dogs, sheep and pigs.
She attended Skowhegan High School and went on to college at the University of Maine, where she majored in biochemistry, graduating in 1967. She then pursued graduate studies at Oregon State University, where she graduated with a PhD in biochemistry in 1972. Following that, she did post-doctorate work on complex carbohydrates at the Illinois Institute of Technology and on biological polymers at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. She worked in the chemistry field in Maine, northern New York, St. Louis, and the Chicago area.
She was an active member of the Oak Park Friends Meeting, first attending a Friends Meeting when she was living in St. Louis. She was attracted by the style of worship, as she had a long-standing interest in meditation.
Helen’s interests were varied. She was a member of Toastmasters International and also liked to paint and do photography. A number of years ago, she decided to take flute lessons and subsequently joined the Triton College Community Band. While in the band, She met her good friend Louise, the Triton birdwatching instructor, who introduced Helen to birdwatching through Triton’s yearly six-week birdwatching course. She attended the course for over 10 years.
After retirement in 2019, she kept fit by going on daily walks, often with a friend, around her Elmwood Park neighborhood. She particularly enjoyed seeing the birds and the enormous trees.
Helen was predeceased by her parents. She is survived by her brothers, Richard Dickinson; her sisters, Trudy Tremblay, Colleen Dillon and her husband William, Lorna Bradbury and her husband Gordon, and Elizabeth Eggleston and her husband James. In addition, she leaves 12 nieces and nephews, and 14 grand-nieces and nephews.
A service of remembrance will be held at The Oak Park Friends Meeting on Sunday, April 6 at 10 a.m. Contributions in Helen’s memory may be made to the Oak Park Friends Meeting.