The West Thurston Regional Fire Authority invites community members to attend a celebration of life for longtime volunteer firefighter and EMT Leslie Dickerson on Friday, Oct. 5, at the Independence Valley Community Hall in Rochester.
The service begins at 2 p.m.
Dickerson passed away at her family farm in Rochester surrounded by family on Aug. 8, according to a Facebook post made by her family. She was 77.
She was born Nov. 19, 1946, in Centralia and attended Rochester High School until about midway through her senior year, graduating from Tenino High School in 1965.
Dickerson became an EMT in 1985, volunteering at Grand Mound Fire Department District 14 and working for St. Helen Hospital Sisters of Providence Ambulance Service.
“Leslie was a roll-up-the sleeves and get things done kind of person, no task was too big or too small, we could all use a few more Leslies in the fire service!” West Thurston Regional Fire Authority said in a Facebook post.
The fire authority called Dickerson “a matriarch in our fire and EMS family history” and said “she proudly served the community and quickly acquired the title of ‘Mom’ to all the ‘kids’ in the department.”
Dickerson is survived by her five biological children as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
