Laura M. Dickinson

Laura M. Dickinson, 61, of Williamsport, passed away on Thursday, April 18, 2024 after a long and hard-fought battle against breast cancer. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 21 years, Douglas M. Sherry, on December 29, 2022. 

Born December 22, 1962 in Grand Forks, ND, she was a daughter of the late Kenneth Ronald and Marilyn Ann (Jempsa) Dickinson. 

Laura graduated from Centennial High School in 1980. She later earned her undergraduate, Master’s, and Ph.D from the University of Maryland, College Park, studying English Literature. After meeting the love of her life, Douglas, and having her daughter, Maggie, her and her family moved to the Williamsport area, where Laura taught English courses as a professor at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. 

  A truly gifted artist and writer, Laura enjoyed spending her summers painting on her back deck with acrylics and oil, and reading the works of her favorite poets, such as Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. She seemed to have a bit of knowledge in just about every subject, and was a contestant on Jeopardy Season 19 in 2002. Laura had a true love for travel, and made many pilgrimages with her family, both across the country and across the ocean, where she visited England, Italy, Ireland, and multiple other European countries. She had a soft spot for animals, especially cats. Laura was a member of Lycoming Animal Protection Services and New Covenant United Church of Christ, where she served on the board of Journey House. 

  Laura was known for many things, including her coffee addiction, razor-sharp wit, booming laugh, and ability to recite poems off the top of her head.  Most importantly, however, Laura was known for being an unabashedly kind and generous soul whose love for the world around her radiated into every aspect of her beautiful life. 

Laura is survived by her daughter, Maggie R. Dickinson-Sherry, of Williamsport; a brother, Eric K. Dickinson (Grace Pujols) of Delray, WV; a sister, Catherine A. Dickinson (Leonard Gutkoska) of Bel Air, MD; nieces and nephews, Madeline, Leo, Winston and Jake Sherry, Annabel and Custis Lee, Amelia and Griffin Gutkoska; June and Jennifer Dickinson, and great-nephew, Danny Dickinson. Laura also leaves behind her beloved grand-animals, Snoopy, Theo, Hope, and Gumby.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Laura’s name to the Lycoming Animal Protection Society (LAPS), 630 Wildwood Blvd., Williamsport, PA 17701, and/or New Covenant United Church of Christ, 202 E. Third St., Williamsport, PA 17701.

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