In Memorium: A Life Well Lived.

Leonard Dick graduated to glory yesterday. He is a man who I have known my entire life. He had the heart of an evangelist and loved to share the gospel.

He was born and raised in Scotland. He joined the British navy during WWII. His hearing was damaged at that time from the big guns they used to shoot off the ships. He met and married his dear wife Cherry, and they raised a family of four children together. They were both saved in their early twenties while attending a Billy Graham crusade in Scotland. After finishing college he got a job in America in Milwaukee WI. There they got involved in the same church that my dear husband grew up in. This is rather remarkable as it is a small chapel. He worked for PPG (Pittsburgh Paint and Glass) as a chemist his entire career. He was a research chemist in their auto paint division. He used to point out to me the cars that had some of the finishes that he had developed.

Mr. Dick and his family have been a part of my whole life. When I was a young child, he shared a devotional time at a Sunday evening meeting back when our church was so small that it met in homes. God used that message to touch my heart and I talked to my Mom that night and asked the Lord Jesus to save me from my sin. I will always be grateful to God for bringing Mr. Dick into our lives for that reason.

Len Dick was also an avid gardener. He knew so much about planting vegetables and flowers. He was always willing to share his knowledge with the rest of us. Gardening was a year round hobby for him. He was always building his soil and tilling and planning. I am privileged to have been given a good amount of the rich soil from his gardens when they had to sell the house and take down all his raised beds to plant grass. I know my gardening beds are all the better for it.

Mr. Dick also was an avid fisherman. He loved to go to Canada or Florida and fish. He knew a lot about that as well. He was a real fisher of men. He was so faithful to the Gideon Bible ministry for many many years. He would take the Testaments to schools, hotels and even to the intake center for the military to give the young men and women a Bible.

The last few years have been very challenging for Len and Cherry. There were many financial struggles as his mind slipped slowly away. It was so hard for Cherry and the rest of us to see this once proud man humbled. He bore it cheerfully. For much of the time he was still able to function at church and share in the ministry there as he was able to do the things that he always had done for quite awhile. He remembered our names and always greeted us. He loved to be with the people of God.

We will always miss him. He was a faithful man who persevered to the end. I know he is happy now. Until we meet again!

~Mom