Forde Paul Dickson

Paul Dickson was born on December 1, 1930, in Ogden, Utah, to Forde and Elma Whitesides Dickson. One of seven children, he grew up on the family farm in Richville, where he worked alongside his brother J. Burton, learning the values of faith, family, and hard work that defined his life. He attended Morgan High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. On his eighth birthday, December 1, 1938, he was baptized in the icy waters of East Canyon Creek, a memory his mother Elma made tender by waiting on the bank with a quilt to wrap him afterward.

Paul served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the West Central States Mission. He taught the gospel with particular care to Jim and Gertrude Gough and spent much of his time on Native American reservations, where he formed deep friendships. He treasured the Indian costume and headdress given to him by those he served, and he enjoyed sharing traditional dances at local schools.

After his mission, Paul briefly served as Morgan County Weed Supervisor before enlisting in the Army during the Korean War. While in the service, he began cutting hair for fellow soldiers, a skill that became his lifelong profession. Upon returning home, he met Romona Thackeray of Croydon, Utah. They were sealed in the temple and together raised four children: Murry (deceased), Denzil (Judy) Dickson of Elk Ridge, Utah, Dell (Mark) Loveless of Mapleton, Utah, and Stuart (Tim Gill) of Salt Lake City, Utah. He is also survived by daughters-in-law Amy Miller and Julie Bowne.

Paul barbered for seven decades, first at the Hotel Utah and then in his own shop in Morgan. It is estimated he cut more than a million heads of hair. At age 95, just weeks before his passing, he was honored as Utah’s oldest working barber. His shop was a place of friendship and respect, where customers from across Utah and beyond returned not only for a haircut but for conversation and kindness. He maintained a standard of decency, never allowing vulgarity or unkind words.

A lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ, Paul served faithfully in many Church callings. Each Christmas, he wrote personal letters to every member of his posterity, sharing his love, counsel, and testimony, always including a crisp two-dollar bill. He found joy in generosity through the Church’s Giving Machines, particularly in providing polio vaccines to children worldwide. He was a proud member and later president of the Utah Sons of Utah Pioneers, a veteran of the VFW, and a dedicated horticulturist who served with the Utah State Fair and as head of horticulture and agriculture for the Morgan County Fair. He tended his own garden with care, even adding hair clippings from his shop to enrich the soil.

Paul lived a life of quiet faith, service, and love for others. He leaves behind a legacy of integrity, hard work, and devotion to family and faith that will continue to bless all who knew him.