Obituary: Sherman Russell Dickman

Sherman Russell Dickman 1915 ~ 2006 Sherman Russell Dickman died peacefully at home on Monday, September 4, 2006. Sherm was born on 15 January, 1915, to Albert Avrom Dickman and Anna Singer Dickman in Buffalo, New York, and was raised in Port Alleghany, Pennsylvania. His reflective character and curiosity led him naturally to a career in science. He received a Bachelors degree in Agronomy from Penn State University and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of Illinois, where he met and married Marion Lund, his wife for over 50 years. He was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Utah Medical School in 1946. He enjoyed the majestic mountains of Utah, hiking, skiing, and exploring the wonders of the desert country. Having found a group of like-minded and compatible colleagues in the Medical School with whom he enjoyed these pursuits, what had been intended as a temporary sojourn in the West became a permanent home. Sherm retired from the Medical School faculty after 40 productive years of research and teaching. The science of nutrition became a passion for him during his later years at the University of Utah and during his retirement. In the 1980's he published Pathways to Wellness, which laid out the principles of good health and nutrition in everyday language and sought to help lay people think critically about nutrition. He was committed to the scientific method and to critical thinking as a way of approaching the complexities of life. An avid skier, hiker, and gifted amateur photographer, Sherm set out on trek to Nepal at the age of 73. He climbed Macchu Picchu in Peru and continued skiing well into his 80's. He was a fan of classical music as well as jazz, a long time member of the Chamber Music Society, and a founding member of the Utah Planned Parenthood Society. He married his second wife, Eva, in 1998. While this was late in both of their lives, their natural love and devotion made this one of the happiest periods of Sherm's life. Together, they continued his adventurous approach of living life to the fullest each and every day, which included traveling to India, Peru, and the Middle East. Through his example, his playfulness, and exuberance, he demonstrated how to approach life with joy and love for others. Sherm will be sorely missed by his wife, Eva, her family, his three children, Susan, Bill and Tom, as well as his grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Sunday, 10 September, 2006, at 11:00 a.m,. at the Orangerie at Red Butte Gardens located at 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, Utah. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the University of Utah Health Sciences Center Scholarship and Loan Fund.