HANOVER, NH — Herman M. Dieckamp, a resident of Kendal at Hanover and a former resident of Mountain Lakes, N.J., died Friday, August 16th, at the age of 91 due to complications from a stroke. He is survived by his children, Frederick Dieckamp and Krista Dieckamp, and his longtime friend Marjorie Storrs. Herman’s wife Shirley Burton Dieckamp passed away in 1981. His close friend Frances Granger died in 2000. Herman is also survived by the family of his brother, Walter, including his sister-in-law Elizabeth Newberry Dieckamp, his nephew Kirk (Brenda) Dieckamp, his nieces Karen (Chuck) Tyler and Kris (Tom) Rafferty, and their families.
Herman was born in 1928 in Jacksonville, Illinois, the son of German emigrants Frederick and Marie Maier Dieckamp. He attended a one-room parochial school. In 1950 he graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Engineering Physics.
Herman was employed by North American Aviation in Los Angeles in the atomic energy department of its Aerophysics Laboratory, which was dedicated to civilian use of WWII technology. Herman headed the Systems Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) 10A program, a nuclear reactor power supply for satellites, which was successfully launched and operated in orbit in April of 1965. SNAP 10A is the only fission reactor power system launched into space by the United States. Herman rose through several engineering posts to become vice president-engineering in 1966 and was named president of the Atomics International division in 1970.
In 1973 Herman joined General Public Utilities and served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 1974 to retirement in 1988. As a director of GPU’s electric utility subsidiaries, Herman managed the company’s response to the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. His leadership was fundamental to GPU’s survival and recovery.
A past member of the board of directors of the Atomic Industrial Forum, Herman was also a member of the Research Advisory Committee of the Electric Power Research Institute from 1974 to 1977 and a past chairman of the United Way of Morris County.
Herman lived in Mountain Lakes for 38 years. He was often seen walking along the Boulevard. He served on several committees in the borough including a proposal for expansion of the high school.
He had wide-ranging interests including photography and world travel, having visited nearly 200 countries. Herman was well read, clear thinking, and very organized.
Herman was proud of his roots in Jacksonville. He established an annual college scholarship fund for a promising Jacksonville High School student to attend the University of Illinois. In addition, he established the Herman M. Dieckamp Endowed Chair in Engineering at the University of Illinois. The fund supports the advancement of teaching and research in systems necessary to protect nuclear plants and other critical infrastructure.
A memorial service will be held for Herman on Sunday, September 22nd at 2:00 PM in the Gathering Room of Kendal at Hanover, with a reception to follow. To share your own memories of Herman, please visit https://tributes.com/Herman-M-Dieckamp.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, please donate to the Davis Scholarship Fund of Kendal at Hanover. The fund supports educational opportunities for Kendal staff. Contributions may be sent to Kendal at Hanover, c/o Ann Rogers, Controller, 67 Cummings Road, Hanover, NH 03755.