Dirksen served 14 years on City Council and was an educator for 33 years, including as a science teacher at Fairfield High School and an educator overseas with the Department of Defense Overseas Schools.
He met his wife, Judy, while working for Fairfield Schools, and they married in 1969, leaving shortly after for Howard to teach overseas.
The couple returned stateside in 1978 to continue his teaching career locally, and he retired from education in 1999.
Dirksen became active in the Fairfield community beginning in 1978, starting the networking group Community Connections. The couple also founded the Fairfield Food Pantry and led to the formation of the Fairfield Community Foundation.
“He was like a community big brother,” said Councilman Bill Woeste, who is a Fairfield Food Pantry board member. “He was all about the community and all about Fairfield.”
Dirksen is survived by his wife, Judy Dirksen, two children, Alex (Reagen) Dirksen and Ann (Joshua) Parsell, five grandchildren, Madox, Elijah, Mimi, Piper and Olive, and two brothers, James (Jane) Dirksen and Ralph (Diane) Dirksen.
A visitation is set for 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at Evangelical Community Church, 2191 Struble Road, and a funeral service will begin at 7 p.m. with Pastor Richard Lanning officiating.
A graveside service is set for Tuesday morning at Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave. in Cincinnati.
A memorial donation is suggested to the Fairfield Community Foundation, 5350 Pleasant Ave., Fairfield, OH 45014 or to the Fairfield Food Pantry, 78 Donald Drive, Fairfield, OH 45014.
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