Walter Hewitt Dickerson

Walter Hewitt Dickerson, 22 years old, of Spartanburg, SC, peacefully departed this life with his parents by his side on August 29th, 2024. He is the son of Dr. John Graham and Heather McGee Dickerson and was born June 26th, 2002 in Fairfax, Virginia.

Hewitt was a funny, inquisitive, and adventurous child who wanted to be outside all the time. He enjoyed climbing trees, fishing, exploring, and camping with his Troop 1 boy scouts. When he started school this became a problem because he didn’t enjoy sitting at a desk in a classroom all day. He detested homework and this was a daily challenge. He looked up to his big brother, DeHaven, and they were each others’ best friends as children. When we found out we were expecting Pierce, Hewitt was absolutely elated to become a big brother! We told the boys not to mention it yet and Hewitt couldn’t contain his excitement and announced to everyone in childrens’ church one Sunday. He loved sketching and painting and even won first place at the South Carolina State Fair 2 years in a row. He was a very determined and strong willed young man and he carried these traits into adulthood. We decided this was actually helpful when he was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma because he was so courageous and fought hard.

When Hewitt was 17 years old, he took a trip to Germany and Prague with his grandfather, visiting beautiful cathedrals and learning about Catholicism. When he returned, he told us God was telling him to become Catholic. He immediately started classes at St.Paul’s and began reading massive books on the faith and educating himself on doctrine, history of the saints, and learning Latin. He fasted and refrained from eating meat on Fridays. We were stunned. His patron saint was St. Francis of Assisi and he tried to rearrange his schedule senior year at Spartanburg High School so he could attend mass before school. He then decided to attend catholic college and found his way to St. Mary’s, Kansas where he became very disciplined in his faith; he was praying his morning and evening prayers, praying the rosary daily, reading books to grow spiritually, and attending multiple services at the Immaculata each week. He loved his life there and was fortunate to have many wonderful friends.

Hewitt graduated from St. Mary’s College in 2023 and immediately drove to Silver City, New Mexico to spend 2 weeks at Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery with Benedictine Monks. He would rise at 3:00 am for four hours of Matins sung in Gregorian chant followed by solitary prayer and study. The remainder of the day consisted of reflective meals, traditional mass, manual labor outdoors, solitary prayer, praying the rosary, Vespers, Compline, and retiring by 8:00 pm. The monastery was founded by an architect who grew tired of life in New York City and was searching for something more meaningful. This is what Hewitt felt he was born to do. He then applied to an undergraduate/graduate program at Kansas State University in the architecture program. This was his back up plan. He had always been creative and painstakingly detail oriented, so it seemed like a perfect fit for him. He spent every Saturday in the studio working many hours on his models and projects. He insisted on dressing up everyday for class in a coat and tie, just like he did at St. Mary’s. He enjoyed all his classes and made an effort to get to know his professors and students in his classes. We discovered he had cancer over Thanksgiving break, so he took 2 final exams online between having pet scans and bone marrow biopsies. His other professors allowed him to exempt his remaining finals because he was such an exemplary student. He made a perfect 4.0 for the semester.

Hewitt is predeceased by his maternal grandmother, Emma Castles McGee, affectionately known as “Memma”. He is survived by his parents, brothers, DeHaven Charles Dickerson (Soline Aime McGee) and Emmett Pierce Dickerson, grandparents, Drs. John and Alexandra Dickerson, and Carroll Eugene McGee.

Hewitt’s love and passion for Christ was quite incredible to see and his faith was unwavering throughout his illness. Recently, while hospitalized, I was reading a book to him written by Father Mateo and his words fittingly describe Hewitt’s purpose on Earth. He was here to “set ablaze the souls of men and nations with the love of Jesus Christ.” Hewitt was indeed on fire for God. When Father Bourbeau served him communion and mass the day before he passed away, he said, “Hewitt, you have changed more lives from a hospital bed than most people who are actively living for Christ.”

A rosary will be recited at 5:20pm on Thursday, September 5th at the Immaculata Church in St. Mary’s, Kansas. A requiem mass will be offered at 11:00am Friday, September 6th, also at the Immaculata with interment in Our Lady of Peace Cemetery. You may access the livestream HERE. A reception for family and friends will follow in St. Joseph’s Hall.

Pallbearers will be Andrew Frazier, Gabe Konkel, Murray Rundus, Samuel Wingard, Timothy Clemens, Joseph Clemens, Anthony Moser, and Benedict Gerads.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either St. Marys College or to the Immaculata Church Parish at 200 E. Mission Street, St. Mary’s, Kansas 66536.