Leland “Lee” Stickland of Dickinson died of respiratory failure due to COVID-19 on October 1, 2020 at age 73. There will be a graveside memorial service at 2 p.m., Thursday, October 7, 2021 at the Dickinson Cemetery.
He is survived by his brother Dean of Olympia, Washington and his son Eric and grandson Samuel of Melrose, Massachusetts.
Lee was born in Bottineau, North Dakota in 1946 to Irene and Robert Stickland. A graduate of Dunseith High School, Lee was married to Bea in 1969, and several years later the couple gave birth to their son Eric. After graduating from Minot State University, Lee enjoyed a distinguished career as a nursing home administrator in Dunseith, Dickinson, and Mandan, North Dakota, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and finally Boise, Idaho. Lee was a founding member and the first President of the North Dakota Health Care Association in 1980. He was passionate about his work in health care, and took great pride in the facilities for which he was responsible. During his tenure as administrator, in 1985 Dickinson Nursing Center was recognized by the Dickinson Chamber of Commerce as “Employer of the Year”. That same year, Lee was awarded the Silver Spur Award by the same organization in recognition of his countless hours of volunteer service to the community.
Lee had a life-long appreciation of country and classical music, and he became a gifted musician, enlivening many gatherings with guitar, harmonica, and vocal performances. He passed on this love of music to his son, whose musical expressions he encouraged and delighted in. He was enthralled with travel, especially flying; after obtaining a pilot’s license he flew throughout the state, often from Dickinson airport. Lee maintained an enthusiasm for learning and reading throughout his life, especially mystery novels and historical fiction. Never forgetting his roots in Dunseith, he kept in touch with many friends and classmates from his youth. In later years, he greatly enjoyed expressing himself in prose and poetry, often written on fluorescent note cards kept in his shirt pocket in case of sudden inspiration.
