Obituary of Randy Eric Dickinson

The world lost a hero Monday, May 18th. Randy Dickinson passed away in Fredericton at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital at the age of 71. He was born June 23^rd, 1954 in Woodstock NB, to Wendell and Iva Dickinson. Randy is survived by his wife and #1 partner in all things, Karen Dickinson; siblings, Linda Ferrier, Cathy McGuire (Craig), Wendy Dickinson (Lyse Audet) and Stephen Dickinson; sister-in-law, Nancy Dickinson; brother-in-law, Brent Hoerle (Ann-Marie); sister-in-law, Myrna Derowin (Alan); nieces & nephews, Jake, Amy, Madison, Jordan, Evan, Alexander, Connor and Rebecca; and many, many cousins. Randy was pre-deceased by his parents, siblings, Frank, Kim and Christopher; and his niece, Kelti.

Randy was a force to be reckoned with. He had a very successful academic and professional career. In his various roles, he always gave 110% in his focus to help others, do the right thing and to stand up for what is right. Randy was never afraid of hard things and lived his life to the fullest. His passion was as an Advocate for the rights of disabled and accessibility for all persons! 

Although he never sought recognition for his work, some of the highlights of his achievements include: Camp Rotary-attending first as a camper, then Counsellor and eventually becoming Executive Director; Executive Director of what is now Easter Seals NB; setting up and becoming the first Executive Director of the Premier’s Council for Disabled Persons until his retirement; being a member of many, many National and Provincial Boards and Committees; and Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission for a number of terms.

Randy contributed to the development and passage of the NB Accessibility Act and the Federal Accessible Canada Act. Randy was named to the Order of Canada in 1999 and to the Order of NB in 2022.

Recently, Randy was on the Boards of the Human Rights Commission, the Premier’s Council on Disability, the NB Health Council and the NB Accessibility Advisory Board, enjoying the effectiveness of their work in bringing about meaningful change for people with disabilities. Randy was a political junkie (Political Scientist training) who put politics aside to best advocate for all citizens but in the last year, he saw hope in the leadership of Susan Holt and had been actively assisting her Constituency office in Fredericton. He also loved his volunteer work with York Sunbury Search and Rescue and supported various charities, giving something as simple as socks or mittens to show that anyone, anytime can do something to help others. 

Our family is devastated to lose Randy. We are so grateful to have such awesome memories of our time spent with him. With many stories to tell, and stories to tell and stories to tell. In his honor, we would love to challenge each of you to intentionally do something to help someone else. Remember what Randy taught us: “Would you like some help and if yes, what can I do to help?”

Randy always said that he wanted to be an engaged citizen, do to others what he wanted done for himself and he wanted to be helpful and kind. Tick. Mission accomplished!

There will be a Celebration of Life for Randy on Sunday, May 31st, 2026 from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm, with Words of Tribute starting at 3:00 pm. at the Fredericton Inn Bi Centennial Ballroom, 1315 Regent Street, Fredericton, NB. There will be accessible parking available for those who need it. A recording of the tributes is available at the following link: https://vimeo.com/1198130588. At Randy’s request, instead of flowers, donations are encouraged to Camp Rotary; Opal Family Services; Transition House or charity of your choice.