John Nevin Dickie

Captain John Nevin Dickie USN Ret., devoted dad, Pop-Pop and husband, joined his ancestral compatriots on July 23rd with his family by his side. Captain Dickie’s life was rich in every sense of the word. He was an honest, loyal, selfless, patriotic leader. He did everything to its fullest and pushed himself to do his best in every endeavor, which was blatantly apparent with the volume of his successes, both personal and professional. The son of John Archibald Dickie and Olive M. Jean Cox, Captain Dickie was born in Danville, IL on November 6, 1938. After graduating from Rossville Community High School in 1956, he worked as a bookkeeper at a major corn canning company, Milford. Captain Dickie began his military career in the US Army in 1957 as an Electronics Technician supervising Radar Operators. After a three-year tour, Captain Dickie went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in Economics. In 1964, he graduated not only with Honors, but also as one of the top ten graduating seniors based on his outstanding scholarship and activities.Captain Dickie had a lengthy and successful career as a Senior Federal Government Economist at the Department of Housing and Urban Development from the time he graduated college in 1964 through retirement in 1997. He held many significant positions, including Chief Economist for the New Communities Administration, Chief of the Mortgage and Capital Market Analysis Branch, and Director of the FHA Office of Financial Analysis. During his early career with HUD, he was selected for the “Key Executive Program” in which the agency paid for Captain Dickie to further his education. He graduated, with Honors, from American University in 1979 with a Masters in Business Administration. He was enthusiastic about his work with HUD, as he aspired to make the American dream of home ownership a reality for everybody in our country and to have an active role in revitalizing our cities.Captain Dickie was a decorated Naval Captain, serving from 1971-1998. He sought and received a direct commission as an Officer in the Navy Reserve because he felt driven to help repay his country for giving him the opportunities he enjoyed. Over the course of his 30 years of military service, he was a Cryptologic Officer and Commanding Officer. Though he was too senior to serve aboard ship during the first Gulf War, Desert Storm, he was able to provide valuable service with the National Security Agency at Ft. Meade as a Cryptologic Officer. He was directly involved with breaking enemy codes and with missions to design systems to prevent the enemy from breaking our codes.Captain Dickie was involved in numerous historical societies and charitable organizations, as genealogy was a passion of his. He was a past Virginia State President of the Sons of the American Revolution, past Virginia Society President of the Society of War of 1812, District Vice President General in the National Society of War of 1812, a Mason, Chevalier of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem Knights Templar, a member of the Order of Saint Constantine, Clan McPherson, and The Society of the Sons of St. George. Captain Dickie’s family has been especially grateful of the support received from those societies and organizations during this difficult time. No task was below Captain Dickie; he even spent time as a garbage collector in Alaska over one of his college summer breaks. He always thought that everyone’s contribution, no matter how great or small, can make a difference. He believed that when working towards a noble purpose, everyone is a winner. He is the epitome of the American Dream, rising from an impoverished and orphaned childhood to achieve greatness.What Captain Dickie attained in his professional life was prestigious, but his greatest accomplishment was his role as a loving, supportive, and involved husband, dad and grandfather. He leaves behind his wife, Judy Dickie, two sons, Matthew and John-Thomas Dickie, a daughter, Dresden Lawler, and three grandchildren, Victoria Dickie, Athena Dickie, and Gavin Lawler.The wake for Captain Dickie is Friday, July 29 from 6-8pm at Cunningham Turch Funeral Home on Cameron Street in Old Town, Alexandria, VA. Captain Dickie will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery with full Honors.His laughter could be heard a mile away. His wit, as sharp as a tack. His heart, devoted to his family. Our love for him eternal.