Ronald L Dickson

Ronald LaVern Dickson was born in Vernon CO on May 17th, 1930 to Loren Fines Dickson and Opal Pauline Shively Dickson.  He attended Bunchgrass School and went on to graduate from Vernon High School in 1948.  Upon graduation from high school, Ron attended Pasadena City College for one year.  In 1951 he joined the U.S. Navy and served as an air traffic controller for 4 years.  After spending a short time as an air traffic controller at Denver’s Stapleton International Airport, he enrolled at Colorado State University and graduated 4 years later with a B.S. in Physical Science.

In 1959 Ron joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and worked as a food inspector, living in Atlanta, GA and Kansas City, KS where he met Joanne Watkins Elwood.  The two were married on August 16th, 1965, in Mt. Vernon, IL.  The couple, with Jo’s two young daughters Jennifer and Sara, moved to Vernon to farm with Ron’s father and his brother, Marvin in 1966.  In 1969 son Dave was born.  The family enjoyed many trips to places such as California, New York City, Florida, Maine, Rhode Island, Niagara Falls, as well as skiing in the Colorado Rockies.  Internationally they cruised in the Caribbean and visited such places as Spain and North Africa.  Ron also enjoyed flying, having learned to fly at an early age.

Ron passed away in Wray CO on January 25th, 2014.  He is survived by daughters Jennifer West and husband Cecil, daughter Sara Purviance and husband John, son Dave Dickson and wife Suzanne, grandchildren Emily West, Julie, Lisa, Eric and Marc Drohan, Ava and Ben Dickson, brother Marvin Dickson, sister Twila Shaklee, Aunt Lutie Dickson Wakefield, Aunt Esther Dickson, nieces and nephews.

A Funeral service was held at the Wray United Methodist Church in Wray, Colorado on Wednesday, January 29, 2014, 10:00 a.m. with Rev. Norman Stott officiating. Interment was in the Glendale Cemetery in Vernon, Colorado.

The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to Hillcrest Care Center and Hospice of the Plains for the wonderful care received.  Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Plains, P.O. Box 365, Wray, Colorado 80758.

Spellman-Schmidt Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.