William Dimmling: Seeker of
Perfection
When
William Dimmling was 18, his father, a butcher who had
emigrated from Germany, died suddenly, thrusting the
teenager into adulthood. As the new head of the
household, he sold the business, taught his mother to
drive, and became a role model for his brother, Rudy.
While a seriousness fell over Mr. Dimmling and
deepened his work ethic, his father's death did not make
him unduly sober. Quite the opposite. It taught him to
seize each day joyfully, because the future could only be
planned, not presumed.
He brought that approach to obstacles at work and at
home. He would let loose that smile, clap his arm around
you and say, "We'll get through this!"
Mr. Dimmling could persuade executives around the
world to cooperate on joint financial reporting systems,
like the one he finished that last weekend for Marsh Inc.
He and his wife, Leslie, had one son, Gregory, but even
though infertility treatments and then adoption snafus
intervened, Mr. Dimmling, a doting dad if ever there was
one, never doubted that their family would grow. And
indeed they got through it, triumphantly bringing
Nicholas to their Garden City, N.Y., home from Russia six
years ago.
Mr. Dimmling, 47, was determined, but sometimes had a
hard time letting go. Perfection was critical, no matter
how small the task. Did you know there was a right way to
tie the knot on newspaper-recycling bundles?
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