A. APPENDIX A: TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER

APPENDIX A: TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER

Donald Dickey Eulogy read at funeral service, Trinity Methodist Church, Eugene, Oregon, October 2, 1990, by his daughter, Patricia

When my father was hospitalized in July, there was an evening that his physicians prepared the family for the possibility he wouldn't survive the night. The next morning, my mother's phone rang at about 8:00. She answered anxiously to hear a voice on the other end say, "This is Old Man Dickey reporting from Star Ship Earth. I wanted to let you know I'm still here."

Both my parents related this anecdote to me, but my father added a sequel. He told me, with a mixture of pride and amazement, that, later that day, my mother had said he was the most remarkable man she had ever known.

What made my father so remarkable was his strength of character. He lived by strong principles, and believed that the proper response to adversity was simply to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on down the road.

He was raised on a farm, where a childhood accident lead to osteomyelitis. This resulted in many weeks spent in the hospital, the loss of some bone from one leg, having to learn to walk again--which he always referred to as the hardest thing he ever had to do--and a permanent limp. His perpetual response when asked about the incident was a shrug of his shoulders--no big deal.

In spite of his physical problems, he finished school and worked his way through Oregon State University. He married my mother in 1942. I once read that the greatest gift a man can give his children is to love their mother. My father lived by that principle.

He gave us many other gifts as well--honesty, integrity, responsibility, a love of growing things, the freedom to be anything we chose, respect for education, and the strength to stand by our principles, whether in a crowd or alone.

My father loved life. He had a wonderful sense of humor. He loved his family and his many close friends. The visits and cards he received during his illness lifted his spirits immensely. He had hopes of completing several projects around the farm--he envisioned a pond, a greenhouse and a workshop.

The most difficult question I ever asked my father was how he wanted to be remembered by his grandsons, Eric, Mark and Mikie. He thought a moment and said, "I want them to remember me as a good grandfather who loved them very much and hoped they will grow into good men."

Old Man Dickey has filed his last report from Star Ship Earth. I wanted to let you know he will always be with us.

Patricia Dickey Creelman September 30, 1990