Gene Summers Dickey, died surrounded by his family and immersed in their love, at his Irving home at the age of 88. He was born on June 13, 1928, in El Dorado, Oklahoma, to Dee and Lucille Dickey, of Dallas. During his childhood, Gene lived in Dallas; Tulsa OK; Dallas; Austin; along the Oregon coast, where his father was a commercial fisherman; Dallas; and finally Irving. He graduated from Sunset High School in Oak Cliff in 1946. He attended one semester at North Texas Agricultural College (later UTA), and one semester at North Texas State College. In 1952, he began a 35-year career at Dallas, Power, and Light (later Texas Utilities Generating Company, then TU Electric). He spent most of that time as an instrument technician, and worked at multiple power plants through the years. During his childhood years in Dallas, and into his adulthood, he attended Sunset Presbyterian Church in Oak Cliff. He was an active member, singing in the choir, working in the Boy Scouts as scoutmaster, teaching Sunday School classes and serving as assistant superintendent, and serving as a deacon. It was in the Sunset young adult group that he met his future wife Sharon. They were married in 1957. They moved from Oak Cliff to Irving in 1959.Their first daughter, Christy, was born later that year. She was mentally and physically disabled, and was born with a heart defect. She had open-heart surgery and suffered a stroke at the age of 5. She continued to deal with health issues, including scoliosis, throughout her life, and she passed away in 1983, at the age of 23. Their second daughter, Sandy, was born healthy in 1963, on Gene’s birthday! In 1972, they transferred to Woodhaven Presbyterian Church in Irving. Gene continued to sing in the choir for many years. Shortly after his retirement in 1987, Gene began volunteering at a food bank, Irving Cares. He enjoyed visiting with clients, staff, and other volunteers. He received much acknowledgement for his work, and was named an Irving High-Spirited Citizen in 1994. He later felt called to become a greeter at Woodhaven, and would make a real effort to greet visitors by name on their second visit. Gene enjoyed many hobbies through the years, including rock hunting and lapidary work, gardening, and various craftwork. Like his Dad and brother Don, he had a knack for solving problems with whatever materials he had on hand. Gene was unable to continue as an Irving Cares volunteer and Woodhaven greeter after he developed health problems in 2010. But he continued to enjoy people, and some of his hobby work for the next few years. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Christy Dickey, parents Dee and Lucille Dickey, brother Don Dickey and sister-in-law, Doris Dickey. Gene is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sharon of Irving; daughter, Sandy Dickey of Irving; nephews Wayne Dickey and Ray Dickey, niece Dee Anne Hinkle along with several cousins. The family will receive friends at Brown’s Memorial Funeral Home on Sunday, July 10, 2016 from 2:00 PM until 4:00PM. A memorial service will be held on Monday, July 11, 2016 at 2:00 PM at Woodhaven Presbyterian Church, 3650 North O’Connor Road in Irving with a reception time following. Committal service will occur at Oak Grove Memorial Gardens in Irving. Gene’s family requests memorial donations to either Irving Cares at 440 South Nursery Road, Suite 101, Irving, Texas 75060, www.irvingcares.org or VNA Hospice at www.vnatexas.org or 1600 Viceroy Dr. # 400, Dallas, TX 75235.

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