Charles "Chuck" Ellsworth Dickson

Sep 28, 1931 -

Jan 7, 2025

Chuck Dickson, 93, passed away on Jan. 7, 2025. In summer 1948, at age 17, he drove from Seattle, Wash., to Anchorage, Alaska, with his parents and four younger brothers along the newly opened Alaska Highway. After arriving, Chuck went to work as a meter reader for the City of Anchorage Electrical Department. He joined the IBEW and became an apprentice lineman on the city line crew. In 1950, he returned to school, where he first met Corkey Reynolds. They dated for two years before Chuck was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. After serving for two years, Chuck returned to Anchorage High School to complete his senior year. He graduated with the class of 1954, alongside Corkey, though they went their separate ways at the time. In 1955, Chuck began working as a lineman for the Fort Richardson Post Engineers. Five years later, he transferred to the Interior Shop. His work took him throughout Alaska, where he worked on Nike sites and helped with the Star in Arctic Valley. In 1956, Chuck married Elsie, a Canadian woman. They had four children: Dale, Scot, Sandy and Daryl. Together, they homesteaded 160 acres two miles south of Wasilla, Alaska. After the 1964 earthquake, the family moved to Palmer, Alaska, and bought a home on Fishhook Road. After 19 years of marriage, Chuck and Elsie divorced and shared custody of their children. Chuck was an active member of the Pioneers of Alaska in both Palmer and Anchorage, as well as First Presbyterian Church in Anchorage. In June 1994, he attended his 40th high school reunion, where he reconnected with Corkey. Their love blossomed again, and they married a few months later. It was a second marriage for both, and together they built a life filled with love, family, music and laughter.