Charlene Dickinson

Funeral services for Mrs. Charlene Dickinson will be held Thursday, May 6th at 11:00 a.m. at Cookeville First United Methodist Church. Visitation will be held Thursday from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the church. Rev. Rob Wheeler will officiate. Interment will follow at Crest Lawn Cemetery. Born to Charles and Bertha White in Fort Worth, Texas in 1938, Charlene Dixon White was their firstborn child. She married William Calvin Dickinson on September 12, 1960. She was very fond of her brother and sister-in-law George and Phyllis Dickinson, and their children Daniel and Cindy Dickinson. Daniel later married his wife Roxanne, who gave birth to two boys Maxwell and Isaac. Cindy married Will Garrison and they have two daughters Lucy and Rose. Charlene’s brother Tommy and her parents preceded her in death. Charlene Dickinson departed this life on April 30, 2021. Calvin and Charlene met at Baylor University, fell in love and married. She graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and continued her education with a Master’s degree in Social Work. Calvin and Charlene relocated to Murfreesboro, North Carolina in 1962 where Calvin began teaching History. While completing her Master’s degree, Charlene served as a social worker in the Tarheel State. In 1971, after Calvin completed his Ph.D. at UNC Chapel Hill, the Dickinsons moved to Cookeville where he accepted a tenure track position at Tennessee Tech. Charlene briefly taught introductory classes in Sociology. After two years at Tech, she resigned her position to pursue her love of cooking via the culinary arts. She owned and operated two restaurants and a highly successful catering service. Her first establishment was the Backdoor Restaurant. The next was The Cellar with its accompanying watering hole, The Vault. Her catering career provided food for numerous weddings, receptions, special occasions, fund-raisers and many more events for over thirty years. During their adult lives, Charlene and Calvin cultivated a multitude of close friends and acquaintances who shared their love of world travel, fine food, and exploring cultural experiences new to them. They cherished those adventures and created special life-long memories. They made annual pilgrimages to Charleston, South Carolina, Miami, Florida, and Maine to celebrate Christmas with the family. Charlene was an avid reader and an active writer. She appreciated the written word, and was rightfully proud of an essay she published about the lives of animals. Her hobbies included gardening both vegetables and flowers; decorating- both formal and informal; and entertaining guests in her home. Charlene was a legendary and fabulous hostess Charlene and Calvin attended the First United Methodist Church regularly. She relished singing in the choir and was honored to be an occasional soloist. A philanthropist, Charlene routinely volunteered her time to assist at the Methodist Church’s Food pantry. An active member of numerous clubs, Charlene enjoyed participating in Town and Gown, the Cookeville’s Readers Club and the Cookeville Gardening Club. A devoted animal lover Charlene dedicated untold hours to improving the welfare of her four-footed friends. She enthusiastically supported the Putnam County Animal Shelter. Beginning in 2005 Charlene supported an annual “Hat Party,” on the same day as the Kentucky Derby. She used the event to raise funds for the shelter. Because of her efforts, organizers of the “Fur Ball” showed their appreciation by giving her the “The Golden Bone Award,” in 2020. Ken Fuller, Jeff Roberts, Michael "Birdie" Birdwell, Daniel Dickinson, Pat Quillen and Gus House will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Patsy House, Shelly Christian, Donna Quillen, Carol Fuller, Judy Jennings, Cindy Garrison, Will Garrison, Maxwell Dickinson and Isaac Dickinson. Her graciousness, love of life and infectious laugh will be sorely missed. In lieu of sending flowers, please make a donation in Charlene’s name to the Putnam County Animal Shelter, 2650 Gainesboro Grade, Cookeville, TN 38501. Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements (931)526-6111. Share memories and condolences at hhhfunerals.com