Obituaries : Marlowe Dickinson

Marlowe Dickinson, 77, of Cedar Falls, passed away on April 14, 2026, at Cedar Valley Hospice in Waterloo. 

Marlowe Clayton Dickinson was born June 13, 1948, to Dale and Dorothy (Westwick) Dickinson in Webster City, Iowa. They lived in Williams, where Marlowe and his brothers helped Dale at the family hardware store, tractor dealership, and electrical, plumbing, and heating contracting business. In 1958, the family moved to Oskaloosa, where they completed mechanical construction work on the new Oskaloosa Senior High School, worked on several buildings at William Penn College, and did many other area projects. Marlowe was active as a youth in the Boy Scouts of America, and the knowledge and pride he gained from earning his Eagle Scout would guide his community involvement for the rest of his life. 

Marlowe graduated from Oskaloosa Senior High School in 1966. He attended William Penn College, where he met his life-long love, Beverly Buckingham. He continued his education at Iowa State University before returning to Oskaloosa. There, he helped run the family business, which had transitioned into Dickinson Company, Inc. around 1968, specializing in highway lighting, signage, and traffic signal projects across Iowa. Marlowe and his brother, Dave, took over the company in 1989 after their father retired. 

Marlowe and Beverly were married on June 22, 1969, at the Central United Methodist Church in Oskaloosa, where they became longtime members. They had three children, Eric, Matthew, and Rebecca. Marlowe continued his community involvement along with Beverly, serving in a wide variety of leadership roles in the Boy Scouts of America at the local, district, and council levels for more than 30 years. Scouting was a family affair, and family vacations often centered around a wide range of weekend activities, service projects, summer camp, or high-adventure trips to the Boundary Waters or Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Marlowe and Beverly guided many young men through the Boy Scouts and to the rank of Eagle Scout, including their own sons. By the very nature of being the youngest, his favorite daughter, Rebecca, was a frequent fixture at Scouting events with the family.

Marlowe was a founding member of Mahaska Boys, Inc., a local nonprofit dedicated to directing financial support to youth programs in the area. He was also a founding member of the Camp Wapello Preservation Group, another non-profit dedicated to preserving the former Boy Scout summer camp that he and his family had enjoyed throughout his life. 

Marlowe was very active for many years in the Iowa chapter of the Association of General Contractors (AGC), served as president of that organization in 1993, and was inducted into the AGC Hall of Fame in 2013. He initiated and led the AGC of Iowa’s Construction Careers Camp in 1996, which received special recognition from the AGC of America. Marlowe had also been active locally with the Oskaloosa Optimists Club and was honored by the club as a Friend of Youth in 2010. Marlowe was made an honorary member of the Oskaloosa FFA Chapter in 1997 and served on the Oskaloosa Civil Service Commission for several years. 

Marlowe and Beverly’s son, Matthew, died in 2006. Marlowe and Beverly attended many of their grandchildren's activities, and they loved hosting them for overnight adventures and giving them rides on the backhoe around the company shop. His smile shone brightest when he was visited by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was also the family’s champion baby holder, capable of soothing cranky infants. In 2019, Beverly died, and Marlowe and his brother, Dave, shut down operations for Dickinson Company, Inc. 

Marlowe was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife Beverly, his son Matthew, and his toy poodle, Nala Belle (who we all concede was his favorite). 
He is survived by his children: Eric (Rachel) Dickinson of Vinton, Iowa; Rebecca Dickinson of Cedar Falls, Iowa; his grandchildren: Emma, Brant, Zachary, and Emily; one great grandchild, Memphis; and his brothers: Jim (Kathy) Dickinson of West Des Moines; Dave (Barb) Dickinson of Oskaloosa; and Doug Dickinson of Rowlett, Texas; as well as many nieces and nephews. 

Memorials can be directed to the George Daily Youth Theater Program or the Oskaloosa Ecumenical Food Cupboard. 

Funeral services for Marlowe will be held on Saturday, April 18, at 10: 00 a.m., at Langkamp Funeral Chapel with Chaplain John Karrick officiating. Interment will be at Forest Cemetery following the funeral services. Visitation will begin on Friday, at 11:00 a.m., with the family present to greet relatives and friends from 5:00 – 7: 00 p.m.