25 Jan 2017 Couples: Linda and Dickson Flake
HIM Dickson Flake
Native of: Little Rock.
Education: Central High School; bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan.
Job: Co-founder and counsel, Colliers International | Arkansas (formerly Barnes, Quinn, Flake & Anderson Inc.).
Parents: Marguerite Simpson Flake of Corning and Leon Flake of Coal Hill.
Community activities: Treasurer and development representative for the Little Rock Technology Authority Board of Directors.
Church activities: Elder, Second Presbyterian Church.
Hobbies/special interests: Historical novels and travel.
Favorite restaurant in the 501: Cheers, Scallions and Terry’s.
What do you love about living in the 501: Manageable size, acceptance of the people and quality of life.
HER Linda Flake
Native of: Little Rock.
Where did you grow up: Colorado.
Education: Central High School through the 11th grade; graduated from high school in North Africa. Later, I attended school in Gstaad and Neuchatel, Switzerland. In addition, I have attended a master class invitational in Maine and classes at UALR; workshops in China, Guatemala, Mexico, Bali, California, Italy and New Mexico.
Job: During summers in Africa, the kids had summer jobs. I was hired as a draftsman with the Corp of Engineers. In the states, I worked for the Arkansas Highway Department in the mapping section. Later, in Houston, Texas, I worked as a secretary for a pathologist. I am an artist who shows work through the Art on the Green gallery in Conway. This fine arts gallery is very civic-minded and a good fit for my work.
Parents: Imogene Crowder Clement from Blytheville (named after mother’s great uncle Thomas Blythe) and Fletcher B. Clement Jr. from Glenwood and Nashville.
Community activities: Former president of the Mid-Southern Watercolorists.
Hobbies: I love doing my work and cannot wait to get to my studio each day. If I have a hobby, I guess it would be making fun and funny greeting cards. It seems to be hobby and work rolled into one.
How would you describe yourself: Contemplative.
More information: We moved to Detroit when we first married. Our daughter, Leslye, was born there. I love a big city environment, but when starting a family, it’s nice to be near friends and relatives so after a few years we moved back to Little Rock. Dickson and I were both born in Little Rock, but I grew up all over the place. My father was a civil engineer and his work took us to Canada, Morocco, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Colorado. I went to so many schools. One time I went to three grade schools in one city. I was always the “new kid” on the block. Being able to draw and paint was a great ice breaker.
THEM
City: Little Rock.
How we met: I met Dickson at my locker when we were both in the 11th grade at Little Rock Central High School. He walked up to me at my locker and said, “Hi, Snow White” and then he walked me to my next class.
We dated about six weeks before I left for Casablanca, French Morocco. While there, my father died. We brought him home to Little Rock for burial. Dickson was at the University of Michigan and when he came home for Christmas vacation, we started dating again.
I still had wanderlust and wasn’t ready to settle down, so a girl friend from Switzerland and I decided to travel. We flipped a coin and went to the West Coast where I lost all of my money practically the first moment that I stepped off the train. My friend’s brother, who lived in Houston, Texas, sent both of us air fare to Houston.
This was at the height of a terrible recession sweeping the nation. We worked in Houston for a while and then went back to Little Rock. Dickson and I got together again for the third time and were married in February 1960.
The proposal: A long-distance phone conversation following Thanksgiving together in 1959 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Wedding bells: Feb. 6, 1960, at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock.
Children: Daughter, Leslye, and a granddaughter.
Pets: Many cats and dogs over the years but none currently.
Family activities enjoyed together: Travel with daughter’s family.
