May 21, 2024
Dr. Moore sang twice today at the Celebration of Life for a man he had come to know well.
R. Stuart Dickson and Dr. Moore were both residents at Southminster in south Charlotte. Mr. Dickson died May 11 at age 94. The Observer’s obituary is here.
“He joined my singing group, Neighborhood Singers, about a year ago,” Dr. Moore wrote. “During our nightly gatherings at Lola’s (Southminster’s bar) he would help me encourage all residents to singalong. I enjoyed our many conversations about creating a city of Charlotte that works for all citizens.”
“During my 4-year friendship with Stuart, we grew to the place where our strongest political disagreements never threatened our overall respect and concern for each other.”
“During Stuart’s last days in Southminster’s Dickson Hospice unit, I went to his room, prayed and sang several songs of faith and ended with his favorite, You Are My Sunshine. He was a true servant of God.”
The full livestream of the Myers Park Baptist Church’s Celebration of Life is on YouTube here.
Below is an audio recording of remarks during the Celebration of Life by Larry Dagenhart, a longtiime Charlotte lawyer. The stories offered by Dagenhart illuminate Dickson’s life and the kind of person he was, Dr, Moore said. A look through newspaper archives confirms how intertwined Dickson’s and Dagenhart’s lives were in service to the community.
