Rosemary Wilcox Dickerson

Rosemary (Rosey) Wilcox Dickerson passed away peacefully at the age of 96 on August 30, 2025 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The longtime Michigan resident had lived in the Washington D.C. area since 1996.

She believed in doing what she could to make the world a better place on all fronts. She never met a stranger or a chocolate recipe she didn't like.

The importance of helping others was a constant theme throughout her life. Rosey gave generously of her time and talents to causes she cared about, including the World Wildlife Fund and various literacy initiatives in Oakland County, Michigan, where she devoted many years to teaching adults to read and inspiring them to love language. She also started the Environment Committee at St. Columba's, her church in Washington D.C..

Rosey was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1929, the middle of three girls, her older sister Barbara Amberg (Wilcox) and younger sister Patricia Fansler (Wilcox), a trio that remained close their entire lives.

She graduated from Kingswood High School (Cranbrook) in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and earned a BA from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She later received a master's degree in education from Oakland University, Michigan. She married James Preston Dickerson in 1955, with whom she had three children. Rosey cherished her communities and nurtured lifelong friendships from her childhood and from Smith College, where she later served as President of the Alumni Association.

Rosey spent her teen summers at Castle Park, Michigan, located on the shores of Lake Michigan. Castle Park was a touchstone for her; she and her husband built a cottage there in the 1960s and her children and grandchildren have followed in her footsteps, forging close personal ties to the community. She was a member of the Castle Park Board

of Trustees and made history as its first female president.

Rosey was a wordsmith; she loved language, words, ideas, and images and always found ways to create through photography, poetry, and the graphic arts - her homemade cards were especially good, cherished by all who were lucky enough to receive them. She started a poetry group that became popular with her neighbors and friends at Five Star Premier Residences, her senior community in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Rosey had a strong faith, a strong family, and an inherent belief in the goodness of others.

She will be remembered for her warmth, optimism, sense of humor, and how her face lit up whenever you walked in the room.

She is survived by her sister, Patricia Fansler; her children Sanford (Leslie) and their son Graham; Daniel (Lori Anne) and their children Rachel and Justin; and Caroline (Bill) and their children Preston (Sophie), Melissa (Justin), and Nathan (Lindsay). She also leaves behind many great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank the staff at Five Star Premier Residences, particularly the staff on the third floor.

A service celebrating Rosey's life will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at St. Columba's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. Her Christian faith sustained her, as did her community at St. Columba's.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Carter Brown Fund or the World Wildlife Fund.