John Dale Bickner

John Bickner took his last swim on July 7, 2025. An avid swimmer, he moved to Bay St. Louis, MS, so he could swim daily in the Gulf. He probably had a heart attack while swimming. It is a blessing that he died doing something he loved. He was 71.

John was born and raised in Heron Lake MN, the third of eight children. From the start, John was passionate about learning and about sharing what he learned, both from books (he read Will & Ariel Durant’s Story of Civilization – all 13,549 pages – in eighth grade), and by playing in nature, such as by building dams in local streams and in his parents’ driveway.

John attended Macalester College, where he studied political science and other subjects, on a full scholarship. Later he studied computer programming and did extensive programming for the State Board of Electricity and for Care Call in St. Cloud MN.

John always had a project: he developed a construction toy, and wrote a history of economics (“Why I Hate Economics”) and a children’s book featuring Ulysses the Cat in a field of Lotus Eaters high on catnip. He remodeled his sister’s kitchen and his brother’s basement, and worked with his dad and brothers to rehab a house to sell in Minneapolis. John never stopped learning and enjoying discussions of ideas, whether across a board game at the kitchen table or with another programmer on an internet bulletin board.

John was beloved for his honesty, his integrity, and his stubbornness. He could be counted on to stack sandbags in a flood, to cut fallen trees after a windstorm, and to pitch in wherever he was needed. He was a tireless volunteer for political campaigns (even hopeless causes) that shared his ideas of social justice. He loved animals and they loved him in return.

Before moving to Mississippi, John lived in the Twin Cities, Stillwater, St. Cloud, Iowa City, and Woodruff WI.

John is survived by brothers Bill, Bob, Ken (Robyn), and Ed (Jill Berglund), and sisters Pat Bickner and Carole (Todd) Sauers, and 10+ nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Bill and Mary and his brother Steve.

A memorial will be held Sunday, August 24, 2025 at 1:00 PM at Lily Lake Park in Stillwater MN.