Dorothy Ethel Dykema, age 84, a resident of Lisle, and formerly of Peoria and Carbondale, IL; died Monday, December 17, at the Snow Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born January 26, 1923.

Although she was born blind, Dorothy used her many other talents to overcome this handicap, graduating from Marshal High School in Chicago in 1940 and earning a BA degree from the American Conservatory of Music in 1946. Later she received a MS in Rehabilitation Services and a MA in Music from SIU Carbondale IL. She worked for the Illinois Division of Rehabilitation Services in Chicago, Peoria and Carbondale helping others (often the newly blind) to read Braille, accomplish household tasks and to use public transportation with the aid of a cane or a guide dog. She used a guide dog herself for many years. She served as both teacher and counselor for the Dept. of Mental Health in Anna, IL until she retired in 1980.

Dorothy believed in keeping active in both mind and body and volunteered for many different tasks. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Jackson County Mental Health Dept. She worked at the Crisis Line and the Radio Reading Services in Carbondale. She was cited in the Who's Who of American Women for her many accomplishments in the field of public affairs as well as music and writing.

Dorothy was interested in many things and made friends with people who worked in many different fields of endeavor. She liked to attend plays and movies and she loved to travel. She visited both Paris and London on tours with the Dept. of Music at SIU Carbondale. Music was a very important part of her life. In addition to singing on many occasions, she taught both organ and piano and participated in piano recitals and programs. She started an innovative service of piano lessons for handicapped and home bound people by means of tape recordings. In addition to composing music, she was the author of They Shall Have Music, a one-of-a-kind volume for teachers on teaching keyboard to handicapped students. She was a member and president in 1989, of the Morning Etude Club and served as pianist for 15 years for The Swinging Seniors, a group of musicians who loved to play for the fun of it and performed at nursing homes and senior centers in the Carbondale area.

Her second book, The Animals on N. Allyn St., published in 2000, contains stories about the activities of the various animals in her neighborhood.

Her strong faith led her to serve in many ways. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Carbondale and served several terms as Elder and then as Deacon. A date for the memorial service at the church will be announced later. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the First Presbyterian Church of Carbondale Organ Fund.
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Marcia Dykema of Wheaton, IL; and two nephews, Steven R. Dykema of Springfield, IL, and Mark A. Dykema of Wheaton, IL.

She was preceded in death by her two brothers, Hackett H. Dykema, and Robert C. Dykema.

A memorial service will be held at a later date at the First Presbyterian Church of Carbondale, 310 S University Ave., in Carbondale. Interment will be private at Oakland Cemetery in Carbondale, IL.

Memorials may be directed to the First Presbyterian Church of Carbondale, 310 S University Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901.