HINESBURG — Dickerman W. Orvis died peacefully at his home of 67 years in Hinesburg on March 22. Dickerman was born on June 19, 1926. His parents were Ceylon and Gladys Orvis of South Starksboro. He is pre-deceased by his wife of 53 years, Evelyn Quenneville Orvis (1929-2003), his companion from 2003-2015, Eleanor Hollenbeck, and eldest son, Thomas W. Orvis (1950-1982). He is survived by his son, Randy R. Orvis of Farmington, New Hampshire, son and daughter-in-law, Steven J. and Trudie Orvis of Hinesburg, and daughter Julie M. Orvis of Deerfield, Massachusetts. Dickerman is also survived by three grandchildren, Ryan Orvis, Kristina Olmsted, and Tyler Orvis; two step-grandchildren, Lisa Dore and Mark Wilk; and six great-grandchildren, Ashley Labelle, Mary Labelle, Leah Olmsted, Robert Olmsted, Oliver Orvis, and Elizabeth “Izzy” Orvis; and one great-great grandson, Chanze Labelle.
Dickerman graduated from Bristol High School in 1944 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on the Amphibious Attach Ship USS Neshoba in the Pacific Theater in World War II. Upon his discharge he returned to South Starksboro and began working for Western Tel & Tel following the footsteps of this father, Ceylon, and grandfather, William. In 1946 he met his future wife, Evelyn Quenneville of Bridport, and they enjoyed local dances during their courtship including those held on the Steamboat Ticonderoga, now preserved at the Shelburne Museum. The couple married at the rectory of St. Bernadette’s Church in Bridport on May 8, 1949.
The couple began their family in South Starksboro with the birth of Thomas in 1950 and moved to Hinesburg in 1953, where they completed their family. In 1954, they bought and renovated one of the one-room schools decommissioned by the town to consolidate the elementary school. Dickerman was active in Hinesburg town politics and local organizations throughout the ’60s and ’70s, including service on the Board of Selectmen and Town Planning Commission, when he was also active in the town Democratic Party committee. He also was Scoutmaster for the Boy Scout Troop in Hinesburg.
Dickerman and Evelyn were avid members of local square dance clubs and he served as President of the Hinesburg Huff & Puffers. Later they were members of the Green Mountain Steppers and enjoyed various trips to square dance conventions including a National Convention held in Baltimore, Maryland, 1983 and the Canadian National Square Dance Convention in Calgary, Alberta, in 1986.
Dickerman retired from Continental Telephone Company in 1986 after 40 years on the job. In retirement, he and Evelyn became avid travelers. In 1986 traveling cross-country with their travel trailer to Alaska and then in 1989 when Evelyn retired to Hawaii and they began their annual winter migration to Arizona. The two took trips to Australia and New Zealand and to China. Dickerman continued to winter in Arizona with Eleanor after Evelyn’s passing and the two enjoyed a cruise back the East Coast via the Panama Canal in 2008. In 2012 Dickerman and Eleanor return to Vermont permanently.
The family is especially grateful for the dedicated care of Dickerman over the last six years at his home in Hinesburg by daughter-in-law Trudie Orvis, granddaughter Kristina Olmsted, and great-granddaughters Ashley and Mary Labelle, and Sheila Deuso.
In lieu of flowers, friends are encouraged to make memorial donations to the American Diabetes Association.
A graveside Memorial Service will be held at the Hinesburg Village Cemetery on Saturday, June 19, at 11 a.m. A Celebration of Life Open House at the family home, 46 Magee Hill Road, Hinesburg will be held following the service. ◊