Helen Rose Dickinson

Dickinson—Helen Rose Dickinson, 79, on November 30, 2024, at Sancta Maria Nursing Facility in Cambridge, Mass. Helen was born on February 6, 1945, the daughter of George and Ruth Brown Dickinson in Skowhegan, Maine. She was the fourth of seven children: two boys and five girls.

Helen grew up in Norridgewock, Maine, on a dairy farm. She liked to note that although there was no pony, the family farm had lots of cows, working cats, dogs, sheep, and pigs. The farm also produced hay, corn, and string beans. Helen raised her own quarter acre of string beans that she sold to a canning company. After she paid her brothers and sisters for helping her with the crop, Helen would spend the rest of her proceeds at the Skowhegan State Fair. She also enjoyed wandering around in the woods with the family dog.

Helen attended Skowhegan High School and Bloomfield Academy, then went to the University of Maine, where she majored in biochemistry, graduating in 1967. She pursued graduate studies at Oregon State University, where she graduated with a doctorate in biochemistry in 1972. Helen did post-doctorate work on complex carbohydrates at the Illinois Institute of Technology and on biological polymers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She was employed in the field of chemistry in Maine; northern New York; St. Louis, Mo.; and the Chicago, Ill. area. Her positions included biochemical research, generic drug research, and plastic products development. Helen was a member of the American Chemical Society. She was one of the editors of the Chicago chapter’s newsletter.

Helen was raised in the Congregational Church, and later attended the Unitarian Church. She attended her first Friends meeting when she was living in St. Louis. Helen was attracted by the style of worship, as she had a long-standing interest in meditation. Helen ultimately joined and was an active member of Oak Park (Ill.) Meeting. She served on the Oversight Committee, as recording clerk twice, and as clerk of the meeting twice.

Helen’s interests were varied. She was a member of Toastmasters International and liked to paint and do photography. She took flute lessons and subsequently joined the Triton College Community Band. Oak Park Meeting enjoyed hearing her play the flute on a number of occasions.

While in the band, Helen met her good friend Louise. Louise was the Triton birdwatching instructor. She introduced Helen to birdwatching through Triton’s yearly six-week birdwatching course. Helen attended the course for more than ten years.

Helen retired in 2019 from Fresenius Kabi, a global medical technology company based in Melrose Park, Ill. Following retirement, 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 two brothers, Richard Dickinson and Frank Dickinson; four sisters, Trudy Tremblay, Colleen Dillon (William), Lorna Bradbury (Gordon), and Elizabeth Eggleston (James); 12 nieces and nephews; and 14 grandnieces and grandnephews.