Herman Charles Hickman

Herman Charles Pop Pop Hickman, 98, died peacefully on January 28, 2012 at the Mount St. Rita Health Centre in Cumberland, Rhode Island where he made his home for the past 3 years. His reputation as a singer and charmer continued right up to the end. No doubt he is already crooning in the heavenly choir as he winks at the angelic sopranos and altos, who have waited many years for him to arrive. Born on October 3rd, 1913 to Ernest and Stella (Wenzel) Hickman in Brooklyn, New York, Herman was the oldest of five children. Due to the Depression, he needed to get a job immediately after graduating from Bushwick High School, forgoing his dream of a college education. Eventually he became a salesman for the Embassy Grocery Company, selling wholesale groceries to hospitals, schools and other institutions in the area. While making a sales call at Prospect Heights Hospital in Brooklyn, he met Eleanor Smigelski, a dietician from Larksville, PA. Herman made the sale and married Eleanor in 1941. They settled in Glendale, NY, where Herman became active in Sacred Heart parish serving as a Eucharistic Minister and president of the Holy Name Society. He helped organize a Nocturnal Adoration Society, annual mens retreats and the Long Island-based Guild of Catholic Salesmen. He was Area Commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the Catholic Committee on Scouting, helping to establish a number of Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops. Herman was also a founding member and Grand Knight of the Monsignor Sherman Council of the Knights of Columbus and a fourth degree knight. After retirement, he served many years as Executive Secretary for the Glendale Chamber of Commerce. Hermans other passions included barbershop singing as a member of SPEBSQSA, ballroom dancing and bowling with the Sacred Heart senior league. Herman was happily married to Eleanor for 46 years, until her death in 1988. At age 75, he married a family friend, Marian Bergmann, also of Glendale. Herman and Marian enjoyed 8 wonderful years dancing, traveling, bowling and enjoying each others company until Marians untimely death in 1997. At age 86, Herman moved to Canterbury Woods in Attleboro, MA to be near his son Gerry, and his wife Kathy. At Canterbury, Herman led a weekly sing-a-long and also made a love connection with a special resident whose company he enjoyed for seven years until a health crisis prompted his move to the Daggett-Crandall-Newcomb Home in Norton, MA. For the past 3 years, despite being wheelchair bound, Herman has delighted the devoted staff and residents of Mount. St. Rita where he found a receptive audience for his songs and sweet flirtations. The Centre also afforded him the opportunity to attend daily mass in their beautiful Mercy Chapel. Mr. Hickman is survived by his devoted children: Paul Hickman and his wife Jennifer of Andover; Gerry Hickman and his wife Kathy of Attleboro; Fran Hickman and her partner Julie Genz of Roxbury, CT and Peter Hickman and his wife Marjorie of Arlington, VA; two stepsons: George Bergmann and his wife Susan of Alexandria, VA; Raymond Bergmann and his wife Yasia of Williamstown as well as ten grandchildren: Kristen Hufford, Lauren Campbell, Maggie Bokor, Karl, Joseph, Katie, Paul and Andrew Hickman, Vanessa and Paul Bergmann and four great-grandchildren: Margaret Hanover, Aiden, Emma and Taner Campbell. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend visitation on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 from 5:00 8:00 PM in the Memorial Chapel of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home the national historic Colonel Obed Robinson Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro. Childrens room available during visitation. For those in need of local transportation to visitation may simply call (508) 695-0200 to make an advance reservation for such gratis transportation. Family and friends are cordially invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM on Thursday, February 2, 2012 at St. John the Evangelist Church, 133 North Main Street Route 152, Attleboro with the Rev. Richard M. Roy, Pastor, officiating. There will be no funeral cortege from the funeral home prior to the commencement of the Funeral Mass. Following church services an invitation will be extended to join the family for a time of continued fellowship and refreshments in the St. John the Evangelist Church Hospitality Center located adjacent to the church. Mr. Hickman will be buried alongside his wives, Eleanor and Marian, at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York on Friday, February 3, 2012. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in his name may be made to Mount St Rita Health Centre, 15 Sumner Brown Road, Cumberland, RI 02864. To send the family a written expression of sympathy please visit an online register book at www.dyer-lakefuneralhome.com . Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro. (508) 695-0200.