Harold Wallis Dickerson

Wallis Harold Dickerson passed away peacefully on July 26, 2025, as the familiar harmonies of The Beach Boys played softly in the background, part of the soundtrack to his life. For the past year, he had been living with his eldest daughter and her family.

Born in the summer of 1945 in Beaver, Oklahoma, to E.L. “Lefty” and Margaret Dickerson, Wally grew up with a quick mind and a love for science, evident in his childhood dresser (still in the family today), which bears the marks of his earliest experiments. He graduated from Borger High School in 1963 and went on to attend The University of Texas at Austin before earning his pharmacy degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1968.

He began his career at Heard & Jones in Borger, TX, where he became the town’s friendly pharmacist, known for his easy manner and encyclopedic memory of prescriptions. Later, he retired as a training specialist with the Phillips 66 Refinery, where he taught safety classes with expert knowledge and steady assurance.

His work ethic began early. As a boy, he delivered newspapers at dawn every day as the neighborhood paper boy. During his teen years, he was a lifeguard at the local pool. He often arrived in his old British Vauxhall, sun-bleached hair and tanned skin glowing from long days in the Texas sun. He taught countless kids how to swim with just the right mix of seriousness and fun, leaving a lasting impression on more than a few summers.

During the height of the racquetball craze in the 1980s, Wally became a competitive player and won several tournaments. He was also a sharp ping pong player, always up for a challenge and quick to surprise opponents with his reflexes and skill.

In retirement, he loved traveling to watch college basketball and softball games. He eventually settled into a beautiful cabin in the mountains of New Mexico, where he enjoyed Old West history, southwestern art, and the sounds of Western swing music. The Beatles and Willie Nelson were among the voices that filled his world, familiar companions through many chapters of life.

Wally was a kind and gentle man, known for always picking up the tab, never making a show of it, just thoughtfully looking after the people he loved.

He is deeply missed by his daughters, Jennifer Del Cid and her husband Alan, and Julee Kolpin; his sister Carolyn Montgomery and her husband Robert; his grandchildren Grete Kolpin, Sophie Rivas, Lennon Kolpin, Celia Rivas, and Cora Rivas; his nephew Mike Montgomery and niece Kristi Cornelson.

He lived quietly, gave generously, and left behind more than he ever claimed credit for.

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