July 9, 1963 - January 19, 2020
Michael Dickenson, age 56, passed away peacefully on January
19 th , 2020 in his home
surrounded by his wife of 27 years, Laura, and their two
children Jacob (26) and Joshua (24).
Their cat (Jeff), who adopted the family after refusing to
leave because Mike fed him one time,
was also present. Mike had been recently diagnosed with a
rare form of pancreatic cancer that
took away his ability to do many things, however loving his
family was not one of those. For
that, his family is grateful.
Always wanting to do things for others and ensuring that his
family was happy are trademarks of
Mike’s legacy. Whether cooking his wife’s favorite meals (or
any meal since she didn’t like to
cook), taking spontaneous trips to places his family enjoyed
or just making people laugh, Mike
sought to please others and make them smile. He never
hesitated to do something that made life
better or easier for someone else. He was also known to play
an occasional practical joke on
those he worked with which provided opportunities to make
his wife both laugh and cringe in
embarrassment. She will miss those moments.
Mike wore many hats throughout his life: manager at several
restaurants, car salesman, server at
a local steakhouse, student and teacher. However, the hat he
was most proud of wearing was that
of a husband and a father. Changing careers in his 40’s was
not due to a mid-life crisis but the
desire to spend more time with his family. Recognizing there
would be a point in life when time
would slip away, he went back to school at the age of 40 to
become a special education teacher.
He held a position at Normal West High School (Normal, IL)
for eleven years where he made an
impact on students, the degree to which he was most likely
not aware. He did not seek the
spotlight and most likely would not have believed the
testimonies, but he changed lives and left
behind co-workers who both missed him but also breathed a
sigh of relief because he could no
longer make them the subjects of his practical jokes.
Mike worked alongside his wife Laura for several years at
Autism Camp, first through their
former school district, and most recently through Autism
McLean, where they worked with
adults who were no longer in school. He found opportunities
to engage those at camp in
activities that were both exciting and new. Whether he was
the captain of a pontoon boat, filling
hundreds of water balloons on his deck, cooking burgers and
hotdogs for campers and their
families, or just pouring water on unsuspecting individuals,
Mike always had fun and created
lasting memories for everyone in attendance.
He willingly and excitedly moved across the country to
Southern California to be closer to
family and worked as a special education teacher at San
Jacinto High School up until he passed
away. He enjoyed the challenge of his new job and
appreciated his coworkers. Their humor and
posted disclaimer were right up his alley. Their support
during his illness was appreciated more
than they know.
He was so excited about the new adventures he and his family
would have in this temperate and
sunny climate. While he was able to make a few of those a
reality, there was so much more to do
and so many plans that did not come to fruition. For that,
his family mourns the loss of what
could have been. However, Mike would be both pleased and
amused to know his children have
agreed to be their mother’s travel buddies.
Besides his wife and sons, Mike leaves behind his loving
family: a sister Brenda (Bobby) Oliver,
brothers’ in law Matt (Lori) Michel and Mark (Renee) Michel,
in-laws Richard and Nancy
Michel and nieces and nephews Teddy, Brandon, Krystal,
Gavin, Alexa, Will and Addisyn.
Mike will be missed and has already left a void where there
was once energy, excitement,
spontaneity and silliness. He has also left behind a caring
presence that simply wanted others to
be happy and content. His death has impacted many, but none
more than his wife and children
who loved him dearly. He would like it if you spent time
with your family, played a joke, cooked
someone a favorite meal or just did something fun as these
actions embody who he was.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 15 at
12:00 pm at Inland Memorial
Harford Chapel (120. N. Buena Vista in Hemet, CA) with a
celebration of life and pop-tarts
following in their banquet room.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be
made in Mike’s name to either:
Wishbone Canine Rescue (2020 Bunn St in Bloomington, IL
61704)
Autism McLean (2404 E. Empire St. in Bloomington, IL 61704)