For decades, Donald Dimmock was one of The New York Times' most essential employees. But until he died this spring, his name never appeared in the paper.

When it did, the retired New York City Local 3 journeyman was memorialized in an obituary section typically reserved for the famous and infamous.

Titled "The Man Who Kept the Times's Lights On," the article celebrated Dimmock's life and career, most of it as the general foreman in charge of the newspaper's electrical department:

"Mr. Dimmock kept the lights on — along with everything else electric — for the production department, the newsroom and the rest of The Times's building in Manhattan. The most important part of [his] job was making sure the equipment that printed the newspaper ran smoothly, from the metal plate room to the loading docks. If something went wrong with one of the huge machines that printed the newspaper, Mr. Dimmock and his team of electricians had to fix it, and fast. … Mailroom stackers, strapping machines, metal plate stamps, flickering bulbs — if it was plugged in, it required his attention.

Among the obituary's colorful details was this:

Through it all, he carried extra machine parts, just in case, and wore a crisp shirt and tie. Natasza Dimmock, his wife of 48 years, became so adept at cleaning ink-stained clothing that she opened a dry cleaning business.

Dimmock retired from the Times in 2001. But all too soon, he was an active Local 3 member again, working with his IBEW brothers and sisters in the perilous conditions of Ground Zero:

"He climbed through the rubble and the smoldering ash to help bring the Verizon Building back online. The ruins were so hot that the rubber from his shoes melted. His doctors suspect that the exposure may have led to the cancer that killed him at 79. The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund paid for his care."

"Don Dimmock was a quiet hero," Local 3 Business Manager Chris Erikson said. "He did everything with dignity and pride and his workplaces, our city and our union are better because of him."

Dimmock's wife and their daughter, Brooklyn filmmaker Jessica Dimmock, were at his side when he died March 20. In his final days, Jessica read him a list of things he'd taught her to love. It included: "A love of walking. A love of biking. A love of politics and showing up for every election, even the small ones. A love of doing things the right way."

Weak as he was, Dimmock was able to recall some of the things he loved most, such as the Times, the music of Tina Turner and his union.

His daughter shared his sentiments with Local 3 in an Instagram message with a link to the obituary: "My father was a proud member for easily 40 years. Probably more. Loving the union was one of the last things he said. Thank you for existing despite the odds."

The path to the middle class runs through America's local union halls, but for a select group of members, a shirt with someone else's name just never fits right.

For those members, the journeyman ticket is a giant step toward the ultimate goal of independence: a business they own, rising and falling on the quality of their name and work.

And the IBEW is here for them now, too.

A new program in the Fourth District designed and run by Membership Development Educator Virgil Hamilton wants to make the journey from journeyman to signatory contractor easier by offering an all-day seminar in local union halls.

"Just 33% of all electrical work is new construction. The rest is modernization, retrofit and repair, and nearly half that work is being done by shops with fewer than 10 workers," Hamilton said. "Small contractors are doing a ton of the industry, and nearly all of it is nonunion."

In early March, Hamilton was in the meeting space of Baltimore Local 24's union hall.

About two dozen members of Local 24 showed up on a Tuesday morning in various steps on their path to business owner. One, a testing technician, was already working with hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment. Another stood to inherit his father's small nonunion shop that worked out of the area and was weighing his options. Some had little more than a burning desire to never have another boss again.

"This is the tip of the iceberg in this room," said Local 24 Business Manager Michael McHale. "We know there is enormous interest in our membership, but they have a lot of questions about how to succeed as a small signatory contractor. This is one way we show them that we have tools to help them prosper."

Morning sessions focused on the why and how of starting a business. After lunch, sessions were as varied as timing one's bids, maximizing bonding and insurance coverage, marketing, and where to schmooze with general contractors.

"We give them the whole shebang," Hamilton said.

McHale and Assistant Business Manager John McLaughlin started the morning with a welcome and an introduction before handing it over to Hamilton. But most of the day, sessions were led by business professionals and area experts.

The session on choosing a business structure and registering with the state was run by an accountant. A small-business banker taught the session on establishing and using credit. A consultant from a project management firm walked everyone through bidding and logistics. The insurance and bonding session was run by an agent from the union-run insurance company Ullico. A representative from the local NECA chapter spoke about networking with general contractors, and McHale and McLaughlin regularly interjected with tools the local has to help.

The day was filled with conversations you'd expect to hear at a business school, not a union hall. Which is better: a sole proprietorship or an LLC? What kind of work maximizes cash flow and minimizes capital investment so a new business can stay afloat in the early stages? How do you get a bank to give you the time of day when you don't have any money coming in yet? How do you build relationships with general contractors that turn into work? Where do you find bid opportunities, and how do you qualify to work with the state?

Hamilton has run the training a half-dozen times across the district, and he said some businesses are already open. His plan is to develop the materials for the course and expand it.

"It's obvious no daylong seminar can be comprehensive," he said. "The goal is to give an overview of the questions members should be asking and show how the IBEW can help you with the answers."

As he wrapped up the day, McHale put aside his role as teacher and became more of a cheerleader. The jurisdiction is booming, and more work is coming.

"The time to go into business is when there is a surplus of work and a shortage of electricians. That's where we will be," he said.

Then he paused and smiled before offering a final bit of wisdom.

"Remember where you come from when you're successful beyond your wildest dreams."