Joseph Albert Dickson

"Well done, my good and faithful servant." Those are the words that I am sure my granddaddy heard when he walked through the gates of Heaven. Joseph Albert Dickson, known as "Albert" by most and "Joe" by my grandmother, was quite possibly one of the best men to ever walk this earth. He was a devoted and unwavering husband of 58 years to his wife, Elaine, who has been in Heaven since 2022. He was the most patient, loving, and good father to his children, Sherri Petty (Kevin) and Jeffrey Dickson (Melissa). And he was the sweetest and most generous Granddaddy to his grandchildren: Rachel Fite (Brandon), Noah Petty (Reilly), Lane Smith (Kendall), Emalee Clayton (Caleb), and Jacob Dickson (Samantha). And he was even a great grandfather to his five great-grandchildren: Cooper, Annistyn, Oaklynn, Beckham, and Gracie. He was a man of God and a faithful leader at his church, Beth Shiloh, for over 75 years. He did not miss a Sunday if there was any way he could help it. He served as a deacon, elder, clerk of session, Sunday school teacher, youth leader, and earned the honor of Elder Emeritus in 2019. He filled each role to the absolute best of his ability. His life was not always easy, and the circumstances he walked through from a very young age would've turned most away from their faith. But not him. He followed Jesus gladly and with devotion as long as any of us can remember. He was a proud retiree of Duke Power. Not Duke Energy, but Duke Power. He was a lineman and then a supervisor and was a respected leader at work. Everyone who worked with him would likely agree that he did his job well and was one of the hardest working men in that company. He worked with integrity and took pride in doing things the way they were supposed to be done. He was a member of the U.S. National Guard and volunteered much of his time throughout his life. He volunteered each Wednesday morning at the PATH organization for over 15 years after he retired. He served as a volunteer firefighter, member of the rescue squad, drove the afterschool bus for the YMCA, and alongside Elaine ran an unofficial afterschool pickup and childcare for his grandchildren. Impressively, he donated 20 gallons of blood to the American Red Cross throughout his adult life. He could design the electrical wiring for an entire house, could build just about anything out of wood, and took every chance he had to teach his children and grandchildren valuable skills and lessons. He also always had a pen, hankie, and several wallets and sets of keys in his pockets. He walked with his wife through years and years of health struggles and was her faithful caregiver and partner. And I do not think I ever heard him complain, not once. He walked the road that God led him on with a joyful heart and steadfast spirit. He went to be with the Lord on August 18th, 2025. He is now whole and healthy and worshipping the Lord in Heaven, and there is no soul happier about that than Elaine. He has joined her along with his parents (Ernest and Rachel), and his older siblings: Harvey, Lamar, Aileen, Ralph, Bobby, and Sara. I'm sure it's a beautiful sight to see their entire family reunited once more. As our family mourns the loss of our leader, role model, daddy, and granddaddy, we thank the Lord for the example he set for us for the last 88 years and for the legacy that he created. And we are most of all thankful for the doubtless assurance that he is in Heaven right now and for eternity. The Celebration of Life for Albert will be held at 11am Friday, August 22nd, at Beth Shiloh Presbyterian Church in York. The family will receive friends immediately following the service. Memorials can be made to Beth Shiloh Presbyterian Church, 1184 North Shiloh Road, York, SC 29745. Family and friends are invited to share condolences online at www.brattonfuneralhome.com. Bratton Funeral Home of York, SC is honored to serve the Dickson family during this time of loss. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joseph Albert Dickson, please visit our floral store.