[Bcma-l] Untimely death of John Dickenson

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

I am sorry to report on the passing of John Dickenson.   Many of you may 
recall meeting him or hearing him speak at CMA, BCMA or other conferences.
 
Ian McLennan comments below are very appropriate on this honourable man 
and his contributions to our field.
 
John McAvity

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*From:* Ian McLennan [mailto:ian.mclennan@gmail.com]
*Sent:* Mon 05/02/2007 8:25 PM
*Subject:* Untimely death of John Dickenson

Vancouver, B.C.
05 February, 2007


Dear Friends

It is my very sad task to inform you that John Dickenson, formerly 
director of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver, died around 
9:00 pm last night at the care facility on Salt Spring Island where he 
had resided for the past several months. John was only 63 and just 
beginning to enjoy early retirement when he was stricken with a rare 
form of Alzheimer's.

I talked with Joan Dickenson this afternoon, and although we both 
expressed great sadness at John's untimely passing, we agreed it was a 
blessing, considering his hopeless condition and rapid deterioration in 
recent weeks.

There will be a quiet, modest service for John at 3:00 pm on Saturday, 
February 10th on Salt Spring Island. I talked with Joan about the 
possibility that a public memorial be held for him on the mainland 
sometime in the future. We agreed to talk about that sometime soon.

John will be remembered as a visionary leader, someone who took on a 
passion for science and for the facility he led, and a person who 
devoted considerable talent and energy towards creating an institution 
of which the city could be proud. He will also be remembered 
internationally for his efforts to bring modern management and marketing 
techniques to the International Planetarium Society. I am sending out a 
separate mailing to John's many friends throughout the world in the IPS.

Beyond the institutional strengths and energy John brought to his work, 
he will perhaps best be remembered as an honourable gentleman - and a 
nice guy. Hard to beat that as a legacy. John Dickenson will be sorely 
missed.

icm


Condolences may be addressed to:

Joan Dickenson...
3030 Southey Point Road
Salt Spring Island BC V8K 1A1
Canada

< jdickens@telus.net <mailto:jdickens@telus.net> >




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Ian C. McLennan                         
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