Name:
Dr. John C. Dickey
Birth Date & Death Date
June 26th, 1934 - May 24th, 2009
Obituary:
John Dickey had a long Texas Pioneer heritage. He was born at home to Claude and Opal Isom Dickey on June 26, 1934, in Abilene. At age 10, the experience of a ruptured appendix and the doctors who saved his life inspired John to become a doctor. He enthusiastically embarked on a lifelong study of medicine. John grew up in Wylie completing his public education in 1952. He then completed his bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry with a minor in mathematics graduating magna cum laude from McMurry College in just three years (1955). John was accepted at Southwestern Medical School of the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating in the upper third of his class in 1959. He served his internship at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, from July 1959 to June 1960. He then served in the USAF MC as Captain and was stationed at Perrin Air Force Base, Sherman, Texas, from July 1960 to June 1962. Dr. Dickey returned to Parkland and Southwestern for his residency from 1962 to 1965 under the tutelage of Jack A. Pritchard, M.D., Chairman and Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology. John touched history by being present at Parkland Memorial when both President Kennedy and Governor Connelly were brought into the emergency room. He was also present days later when Lee Harvey Oswald was brought there. During his residency he spent six months of his senior year working in gynecologic endocrinology as an instructor. After turning down the opportunity to pursue academic medicine, John entered private practice of OB/GYN in Denison, Texas, practicing there until 1982. John and his first wife Joanne raised four children in Denison. In 1982, Dr. Dickey moved to Lubbock, joining the Women’s Clinic as an Associate and was affiliated with Covenant Medical Group until his retirement in April 2008. During his professional career spanning 43 years as an OB/GYN, he served as Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology and chaired many other committees at both St. Mary’s or Lakeside (now Covenant Women’s and Children’s Hospital) and at Methodist Hospital (now Covenant Health Systems). He was also on staff at South Park Hospital, University Medical Center, and Highland Hospital, all in Lubbock. Prior to moving to Lubbock, Dr. Dickey was affiliated with six North Texas hospitals, serving as Chief of Staff and Chair of many committees. Dr. Dickey was a member of countless professional organizations and achieved awards too numerous to mention. According to his beloved Lubbock nurse of 28 years, Kay Buchanan, Dr. Dickey was always “the True Southern Gentleman”. She says that he was dedicated, compassionate and had a charisma that made every patient feel she was his most important. John always said that he chose obstetrics because it was usually “a happy specialty”. During his long career, it is estimated that he delivered between 8 and 10 thousand babies. John Dickey and Shere Forkner were married on October 17, 1993, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. John and Shere shared a passion for Mastiffs and were active in the Mastiff Club of America, showing their dogs while volunteering and supporting Mastiff Rescue. Besides his professional career, John was passionate about working in his yard, hiking in the mountains, loving his dogs, and reading a good book. You could regularly see John in his neighborhood, walking his menagerie of Mastiffs. Preceding John in death were his parents, his brother, Wayne B. Dickey; a nephew, Kenny Forkner and previous wife, Dana Dickey. Also preceding him in death in the past year were his son, David Coke Dickey; his dear friend, partner, and hiking buddy, Dr. Hugh Haynes; and three of his Mastiffs: Lucky, Stacia, and Lily Pad. John is survived by his wife of almost 16 years, Shere Forkner Dickey and their Mastiff companions, Nash and Peaches. He is survived by son Jeff and wife Harriet Dickey-Chasins of Grinnell, Iowa; daughter Denise and husband Ron Andes of Santa Fe; and son Charles and wife Serstin Neely-Dickey of Austin. He is also survived by David’s former wife, Debbie and her husband Gary Pate. John’s grandchildren are Ruth Dickey; Elijah and Lillawah Andes; Lindsey, Chauncey and Frannie Neely-Dickey; and Katie, Madison, and Chandler Dickey. Also surviving are two nieces, two nephews, three great nieces and three great nephews.

Memorials:
Haven Animal Care Shelter, 4501 N. County Road 1729, Lubbock, TX 79403 or to Lollipop Farm Rescue, 7503 N. Interstate 27, Lubbock, TX 79403 or Friends of Rescued Mastiffs (FORM) 3706 Garrett Blvd, Deer Park, TX 77536.
Cemetery:
Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers Crematory
6025 82nd Street
Lubbock, TX 79424 (map/driving directions)
Services:
2:00PM at LakeRidge United Methodist Church on Saturday, May 30th, 2009 (map/driving directions)