Jean Dickson

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Visitation:
Sunday, August 2, 2026
2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Secor Funeral Home
Plymouth, Ohio

Visitation 2:
Monday, August 3, 2026
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
First Evangelical Lutheran Church
Plymouth, Ohio

Service:
Monday, August 3, 2026
11:00 AM
First Evangelical Lutheran Church
Plymouth, Ohio

Jean Dickson, 79, died in her home surrounded by her loving family on July 28, 2026 following a three year determined journey with Merkel Cell Carcinoma and Leptomeningeal Disease at the end.

A lifelong Plymouth girl, she was born to her beloved parents, Woodrow and Ruth (Moore) Smith on October 13, 1946. Jean had a happy childhood playing with siblings, cousins and friends along the creek, riding ponies, helping in the kitchen and garden, and spending time at Lake Erie. She graduated from Plymouth High School in 1964 and went to banking school at both Ohio University and Kent State University after being encouraged in her strong math and meticulous bookkeeping skills. She became the first woman officer at People’s National Bank in Plymouth, served for many years as a student loan officer for the First National Bank of Shelby and covered many other roles until her retirement with Civista bank in New Washington where customers and colleagues were friends.

She married the love of her life, Doug Dickson, on July 17, 1976. She was his biggest cheerleader and fan through his years of coaching, teaching and starting and leading the Plymouth Area museum. They welcomed two girls, Jenny and Kathy on the same day two years apart, and Jean poured herself into being the best mom they could have ever wanted. She stepped away from banking to stay home with them and welcomed many other children into their home daily, making it a fun place for all. Her favorite title of all time in addition to “mom” was “grandma,” and she loved and cherished her four grandsons with everything she could give, cheering them on in activities, mysteriously losing almost every game she played with them, and together enjoying small adventures, treats, birds at the window, silly moments and movie nights.

Jean loved a full house. She was known for her deep and trusting listening presence, unwavering patience, wisdom, knowing smile and quiet resilience, and a quick sense of humor; she reveled in life’s simple joys and beauty and a deep faith. She lived for spending time with family and friends, including her card club of over 40 years, and treasured time at Lake Erie with family until the end of her life. Her fierce advocacy, love and support walking alongside younger sister Debbie, who had Down Syndrome, caring for her parents, and Jean’s own strength, joy, and perseverance in the face of various health challenges, tell a  story about the kind of person she was, always encouraging others from the sidelines.

She is survived by her husband Doug of 50 years; her daughters Jenny (Tim) Howard of Medina; Kathy (Alex Sider) of Bluffton; four grandsons, Kurtis and Kian Howard and Evan and JD Sider; her brother Larry (Fran) Smith of Plymouth; beloved nieces and a nephew, Dawn Murray, Melissa Kaple, Jeremiah Dickson, Stephanie Herron, Cortney Dalton and their spouses and families (including great-nieces and nephews and great-great nephews), and many special cousins and special friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Woodrow and Ruth Smith, sister Debbie Smith, brother-in-law, David Dickson, parents-in-law, Charles and Dorothy Dickson, and niece Lynn Smith.

As Jean did, her family also holds her wonderful medical team of doctors, nurses and caregivers over the years in the highest regard, and thanks them for caring for Jean so well on her journey, both with her heart and her cancer. Her family also wishes to thank all who supported her through visits and ongoing love and care.

In honor of her will to treat her aggressive cancer, memorial contributions may be made in her memory to help support Merkel Cell and related cancer research at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Memo: The Melvin Markey Discovery fund, Taussig Cancer Center, c/o Dr. Shlomo Koyfman in memory of Jean Dickson, 10201 Carnegie Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44195), or to the First Lutheran Church of Plymouth, her church home across her life.

Visitation for Jean will be held on Sunday, August 2, from 2-6, at the Secor Funeral Home in Plymouth, Ohio, and for the hour prior to the service at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plymouth on Monday, August 3, from 10-11, with an 11:00 service to follow with Pastor Jeremy Lambert officiating. A private burial will be held at a later date at Greenlawn Cemetery in Plymouth. Online condolences may be made to Jean’s family by visiting www.secorfuneralhomes.com