Seeker of Perfection
When William Dimmling was 18, his father, a butcher who had emigrated from Germany, died suddenly, thrusting the teenager into adulthood. As the new head of the household, he sold the business, taught his mother to drive, and became a role model for his brother, Rudy.
While a seriousness fell over Mr. Dimmling and deepened his work ethic, his father's death did not make him unduly sober. Quite the opposite. It taught him to seize each day joyfully, because the future could only be planned, not presumed.
He brought that approach to obstacles at work and at home. He would let loose that smile, clap his arm around you and say, "We'll get through this!"
Mr. Dimmling could persuade executives around the world to cooperate on joint financial reporting systems, like the one he finished that last weekend for Marsh Inc. He and his wife, Leslie, had one son, Gregory, but even though infertility treatments and then adoption snafus intervened, Mr. Dimmling, a doting dad if ever there was one, never doubted that their family would grow. And indeed they got through it, triumphantly bringing Nicholas to their Garden City, N.Y., home from Russia six years ago.
Mr. Dimmling, 47, was determined, but sometimes had a hard time letting go. Perfection was critical, no matter how small the task. Did you know there was a right way to tie the knot on newspaper-recycling bundles?
