William M. Dickerman

William Mallory Dickerman, sometimes known as “Bill” or “Doc”, passed away in his home in Rindge, NH, on January 14, 2020, quietly and privately, in the same way he liked to live his life. He was born in Staunton, VA, to Stella Mallory Dickerman and Charles Pingrey Dickerman on July 20, 1943. As a child, he lived primarily in Oberlin, OH, and Battle Creek, MI.

William attended Camp Pemigewassett, Wentworth, NH, as a camper for one year, where he was noted for his exemplary work in music. He returned to Pemi as a counselor for 11 years and ended his tenure there as assistant director; he is remembered for organizing a trip program and ensuring that each boy successfully completed their half mile open-water swim. After earning his B.A. from Oberlin College and his passion for working with and helping kids sparked, he headed to the University of Wisconsin (Madison) to earn his M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology, specializing in children and classroom management. In his spare time there, he was a successful competitor in pairs ice dancing.

After graduation, William found his calling at Hampshire Country School in Rindge, NH, where he affectionately became known as “Doc.” He devotedly spent 49 years there as a faculty member and administrator, including 13 years as the headmaster (1996–2009) followed by 10 years as the director of admissions (2009–2020). His legacy is visible in the lives and careers of the hundreds of students he helped to shape and direct into their futures, many of whom kept in touch with him and sought his counsel even into their adulthood. He also had a unique ability to listen in a way that made those he spoke with feel as if they were the only important matter in that moment.

He was also known for sharing his love of the natural world: hiking, camping, and canoeing. An avid conservationist, he secured the easement for 1,400 acres of land with the Northeast Wilderness Trust and, in this, created the Wapack Wilderness.

William is survived by his half-sister, Anne Dickerman Reid, of Bedford, NY; half-brother, William R. Dickerman (Wendy), of Collegeville, PA; nieces Julia S. Torres (Nehemiah) and Anneke S. Braisted (Tim) of Cary, NC; Rebecca and Elisabeth Reid of Bedford, NY; Morgan B. Dickerman and nephew Bradley W. Dickerman of Collegeville, PA; aunt Eleanor F. Dickerman of Charlottesville, VA; a great-nephew, Liam, and a great-niece, Kaia; and sister-in-law, Gerhild S. Dickerman, of Durham, NC. William was predeceased by his brother, Charles Robert Dickerman, and sister, Marianne Dickerman Caldwell, as well as both parents; stepmother, Brooke B. Dickerman, and uncle, Ernest M. Dickerman, both of Swoope, VA; and aunt, Virginia D. Edmunds of Staunton, VA.

There will be a private service for William’s interment in Oberlin, OH.

The family requests those wishing to honor his life (and that of the person who donated a kidney to him 32 years ago) consider becoming an organ donor and/or make a donation to Hampshire Country School, 28 Patey Circle, Rindge, NH 03461-5950, or the National Kidney Foundation, Inc., 30 East 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016