Arthur LeRoy Dickson of Hoopa passed away on June 14, 2021 at his home in Hoopa just days after his 92nd birthday. Art was born on May 30, 1929 in Eugene, Oregon to Arliegh and Florence Campbell Dickson. Art had five brothers and two sisters – Chuck, Fred, and Bill Dickson, Harold Skinner, Ray Meserve, Joan Larecy and Julia Ann Odegard.

Art left high school his sophomore year in May of 1946 to join the Navy. During World War II he served his time on the USS Battleship Chevalier 805 as a radio operator and deck hand. He helped to anchor that ship in many ports, such as Japan, Guam and others. Art served through the end of World War II, turning 18 in Guam. He received an honorable discharge from the United States Navy Thirteenth Naval District. Art is a member of the VFW Post 9561 in Willow Creek, Ca and The American Legion Post in Hoopa and a charter member of the Willow Creek Fire Department.

After his service Art returned to Eugene to work in the woods as a choker setter and bullbucker. He also went back to school graduating from Reedsport, Oregon High School, Class of 1949. Later that year he landed a job at a cabinet shop not knowing that it would lead to a lifetime career.

After leaving Oregon and moving to Willow Creek, Ca in 1953, he went to work for Fisher Brothers Logging Company working in the woods during summer months and building cabinets during the winter months. Art was incredibly skilled with numbers and design which led to his long career as a carpenter. You would hardly ever see Art without a pencil behind his ear.

Throughout his long carpentry career his amazing talent showed best in his woodworking, spending many hours in his cabinet shop building cabinets and furniture. Later on many of his kids and grandkids would receive oak, maple and birch furniture as gifts for birthdays and Christmas.

Fisher Logging closed in 1957 and Art started off on a building career that would span more the 60 years. He moved to Monterey, Calif. for a short period of time opening a cabinet shop there. He then moved back to Willow Creek in 1958, working to rebuild the Fork’s Bar after it had burned down.

Art married Bette Nelson in 1960, they had one son Bob and two step daughters Velina and Linda. In 1960 Art passed the test for his contractor’s license and started Dickson Construction. After the 1964 Flood, Art helped to rebuild downtown Willow Creek. In 1968 Art took off in another direction and bought the 300 Club bowling alley, bar and restaurant in Willow Creek which closed up a few years later.

Art’s true calling was construction. He went on to build in Willow Creek: the Forks bar building, Coast Central Credit Union building, Walt Poliak’s meat market, the Courier office, Al Hodgson Dept. Store, John Lund Auto Repair shop, Jim Kinsey’s red barn, Ray Brock’s new restaurant, the original fire house, Twigsville Jolley Cone, Gene May auto body shop, and Open Door Clinic. Over the years he built many homes for the community. Just to list some: Al Hodgson, Jim St. John, Art Tonkin, Floyd Fork, Sam Arness, Ozzie Bussell, John Lund, Jerry Shipman, Taylor Knight, Mitch Burchard, Jerry Rich, Tom McKnight, Jasper Hostler, Dick Kersch, Marc Rowley, Pritch Jordan, Phil Mattz, Fred Schlueter, Jerry Mayvill, Erick Ammon, Jason Henderson, Ernie Young, Herman Sherman, Ed Flanders, Bob Nelson, Anthony Risling, Walt Poliak, John Wheeler, Winnie Garlinghouse and his son Bob’s house. Art built his last house at the age of 81 on Peach Tree Lane in Willow Creek, building all the cabinets at his cabinet shop in Hoopa.

In 1970 Art moved to Hoopa and Married Maggie Mattz in 1971. The couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year. Art lived out his life in Hoopa, working and helping Maggie raise her two daughters Leslie and Mary. Art continued as a builder/contractor working for Capp Homes for 17 years, traveling north to Oregon and down to southern California until Capp Homes closed their doors. From there, Art continued as a private contractor, spending years working with the Hoopa and Yurok tribes housing authority, building and remodeling homes from Hoopa to Orleans.

Art loved helping Manuel and Pauline Mattz, his in-laws, with their community events such as the All Indian Basketball Tournament, and the Hoopa Rodeo. He helped Manuel build a barn on Bald Hill Ranch for hay storage, and also rebuilt the large cross on Bald Hill twice for Easter Services. Art was an avid firewood cutter and loved those wood cutting trips with his good friend Wayne Grant. Art was a proud 49er fan and loved rooting for the San Francisco Giants. The early years of Hoopa’s All Indian Basketball Tournament brought him to enjoy basketball, especially the Men’s basketball team from Oklahoma. So much so that he loaded up the motorhome with Maggie, Manual and Pauline, driving clear to Oklahoma to watch them win the All Indian National Tournament. In 1986 The Hoopa Recreation Committee dedicated their tournament program to Art for his Dedication and hardwork.

Art loved his garden and had one of the most productive gardens in the area. Many families received boxes of fresh vegetables from his and Maggie’s garden. The Dickson pumpkin patch was a yearly treat for many young children in the area. School age kids would come by the bus load to pick out the perfect pumpkin for their jack-o-lantern. Art also found time to hang Christmas lights on almost every inch of his property. For more than 15 years they had the most spectacular Christmas display around. It was said that when the lights dimmed in Hoopa in December it was probably Art and Maggie turning on his Christmas lights for all to enjoy.

Art and Maggie loved Trinity Lake and spent many summers there on their houseboat with their houseboat friends, Tex and Rosie Mott, Doyle and Berna Rausch, and Boyd and Joyce Jury. Art had one of the first permits ever issued for house boats on Trinity Lake in 1962. He learned to ski behind a 14ft valco boat with a 35 horse Evinrude. In his early years, Art loved deer hunting. He carved a notch in his trusty 30.30 or 30.06 for each one of his successful hunts. He would travel to Modoc County for a mule deer or even Colorado for a chance at a bull elk.

Art lived a truly productive life and knew the value of getting up and going to work. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Thank you to the doctors and medical staff who helped to care for Art in his last years and a special thank you to Leslie Jackson for providing in home care so that Art could remain comfortably in his home. It takes a special and caring person to take on a commitment like that and your dedication is appreciated. Art is survived by his loving wife of 50 years Maggie, his son Bob (Debbie) Dickson, his daughters Leslie, Mary, Velina and Linda, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His brother Bill and sister Joan.

Art was preceded In death by his father-in-law and mother-in-law Manual and Pauling Mattz, his Dad and Mom Arleigh and Florence Campbell Dickson, His brothers Fred, Charles Dickson, Ray Meserve, Harold Skinner, sister Julia Ann Odegard.

Services were held on June 24, 2021 at the Hoopa Baptist Church with Pastor Harold Jones officiating and Norma Jean McAdams singing a beautiful song . Art was put to rest at the Yurok Veterans Cemetery.