Michael Robert Dickerson of East Hampton died on January 31 in hospice care at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. He was 69.
In recent years, surfers at Beach Lane dubbed him “The Wainscott Walker” because he used a walker device when taking his dogs on the beach in all weather conditions almost every day of the week in every season.
He astonished everyone for decades with his ability to come back from seemingly near-death experiences, including cancer stem cell transplants, brain surgeries, strokes, and major heart operations.
In 2020, a planned hip replacement was scheduled the week everything shut down for COVID. Later, when surgeries resumed, complications had set in prohibiting the operation, and he was forced to endure a deteriorating bone situation for the rest of his life.
Buoyed by the presence of the third generation of the same family of retrievers he had raised, he put on a brave face and was noted by seemingly everybody visiting Beach Lane. Even at the end, when he was unresponsive, he held on a week longer than expected until his dogs were permitted to visit him in the hospital — prompting a response when they licked his hand. He died shortly after that. His yellow Labrador “Z” died unexpectedly two days after he did.
Born on December 29, 1954, in East Hampton, he was the son of Robert F. Dickerson and Miriam Conklin Dickerson Davis. He is survived by his son, Justin Dickerson; and partner of 43 years, Roger Rowlett.
His family has lived in East Hampton since their patriarch Lion Gardiner arrived in the 1600s. He worked in real estate, landscaping, and hosting LTV cable TV shows, and painting art. He was a frequent letter writer to the East End newspapers. He and his partner were active in the Highpointers Club, in which they traveled across the country visiting the highest points in each state with their dogs. Dickerson personally visited the high points of 30 states.
He graduated from East Hampton High School in 1973, where he appeared in numerous school plays and played soccer. He married Joanne Mannes in 1974. They subsequently divorced.
In addition to his son, former wife, and partner, he is survived by five sisters, Shelly Engstrom of Montauk, Caroline Dickerson of East Hampton, Lisa Narizzano of Springs, Priscilla Jones of Montauk, and Jennifer Davis of Exmore, Virginia; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.
A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held on Saturday, February 17, with visitation at 1 p.m. and celebration service at 2 p.m. at Yardley & Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton.
The family plot is in Green River Cemetery in Springs.
Staff Writer on Feb 5, 2024