Obituary of Charlotte Nikont Dickson

Charlotte Nikont Dickson of Springwater Lane, New Maryland, passed away on Sunday, June 30, 2024. She was predeceased by her parents, Leo and Sara Ruth Nikont of Deadwood, SD, and her sister Marcie Gappinger of Aurora, CO. Surviving her are her husband Don Dickson of New Maryland, her daughter Saraya (Richard) Arnold and granddaughter Ayla Arnold of Washington, DC. Also surviving are brothers Calvin (Myrna) Nikont of Lemmon, SD; Miles (Christine) Nikont of Lakewood, CO, brother-in-law Alan Gappinger of Aurora, CO, and several nieces and nephews.

Charlotte was born in Deadwood, SD, on August 28, 1943. She was a soprano soloist for school and other events, head majorette and baton twirler for city and school bands, Miss Deadwood and runner-up Miss South Dakota. She was an ‘A’ student and on graduation from high school entered the University of South Dakota on a scholarship and was placed in 2^nd year French and English composition courses.

After visiting the West Coast, she remained in Washington State where she worked as a legal secretary before becoming Secretary to the Governor’s Tax Advisory Council, travelling statewide to take minutes of meetings for recommendations to the Governor. Next, she became secretary to the Speaker Pro Tem of the State House of Representatives for the 1967 and 1969 legislative sessions.

She met her husband Don, a TV reporter, in 1967 and they married in 1969. After honeymooning in Europe, they moved to New York where Don obtained his MS in Journalism. Charlotte again worked for lawyers as she did in Baltimore, MD, (4 years) and London, England, (2 years). She had been offered the next opening as Court Stenographer of the Supreme Bench in Baltimore but the couple had talked about a year off in Spain and did it. Not ready to come back and out of money, they went to London, England, where Don began with the news agency Visnews (now Reuters TV news syndication).

After two years, he was posted as cameraman/correspondent in Nairobi, Kenya; Beirut, Lebanon; and Istanbul, Turkey. Their daughter was born during their 2-year stay in Turkey. Charlotte often assisted Don covering the news and doing the bookkeeping.  Don became Bureau Chief in Jerusalem, Israel, for three years. Charlotte became bookkeeper for the bureau and its camera crews. Their next move was to Tokyo, Japan, (2 years). After a fascinating, frustrating, fun 10 years abroad, Don was hired by the CBC in Ottawa, then Fredericton.

Saraya started school. Charlotte became a full-time Mom with a houseful of kids, a gardener, creator of 32 scrapbook albums of the 10 years abroad (known as “The Bibles”), scorekeeper for Don’s softball team and a good cook who enjoyed entertaining. Mostly she loved to dance and laugh. Life slowed considerably since 2010 because of worsening osteoporosis.

A brief memorial service and reception will be held at McAdam’s Funeral Home, 160 York St., Fredericton, on Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 2:00 pm. Charlotte’s ashes will later be scattered over the Black Hills of South Dakota where she grew up. For those unable to attend in person the service may be viewed at the following link: https://vimeo.com/event/4464477

Donations to Women in Transition would be greatly appreciated.