Dedrick was described by friends at Rockford College [now Rockford University] as “a gentle, medieval artist who strayed innocently into the 20th century to give joy and inspiration to generations of Rockford College students.” One of his friends, Dick Behr, stated before Dedrick’s death: “His greatest contribution and the reason there is so much interest in him is that he has taught art students for years and years, and because of that, he has truly had a great influence not only in Rockford, but around the world in the development of art. … He was much loved by his students and has had a profound effect on those people who know him well. He has imbued them with an interest in art, and his love for art is so contagious that it has infected those who have contact with him.”—The Rock River Times, 2001
