Gust E.O. Dickson

Dickson, Gust E. O. (age 91) Entered into rest on August 5, 2012 in Spokane after a short battle with cancer. Gus was born on June 23, 1921 in Ljustdal, Sweden to Olaf and Gunhild Dickson. The family came to the US when Gus was 5 yrs old, settling in Paradise, Montana. He was always able to speak and understand Swedish until his passing. He joined the US Coast Guard in February 1942, two months after the Pearl Harbor attack. In his 49 months of service he was a radioman at Seattle Radio and on board a destroyer escort, the USS Vance. After the war, he married the love of his life, Marian Beebe, on March 15, 1947. He got his accounting degree from Kinman University in Spokane and later went to work for Ryerson Steel for 33 years. He had to retire after a stroke in June of 1981. Gus was Scout Master for Troop 424 in the Spokane Valley from the late 1960s to mid 1970s, and was a little league baseball coach in the 1960s. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved to bowl and golf. He bowled until he was 86 years old, and only gave up golfing and hunting a few years before that. He was a Mason and Shriner for over 50 years belonging to Ponemah Lodge #63 of Plains, MT, Scottish Rite Bodies, and El Katif Shriners, including the Arab Patrol, Valley Shrine Club, and the Shrine Bowling League. Gus was preceded in death by his wife, Marian, in 2001. He is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Eric (Julie), Kirk (Gail), and Greg (Patti) all of the Spokane area, step granddaughter Veronica Munyan of Tacoma and step grandson Todd Fenn of Spokane. Gus and his lovely bride, Marian, are back together again. Services will be held on Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 10:00 am at the Riplinger Funeral Home, 4305 N. Division, Spokane, WA. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, PO Box 2472, Spokane, WA 99210-2472.