Dickey, Sr., John Wagner

John Wagner Dickey, Sr., Professor Emeritus of Urban Affairs and Planning and Public Administration and Policy at Virginia Tech, died of complications associated with Parkinson’s disease on Sunday, May 12, 2019.

Born on October 26, 1941 in Philadelphia, Pa., John enjoyed life to the fullest and had a fantastic sense of humor. He loved playing tennis, riding his bike, hiking with his daughter, attending sporting events with his son, listening to all genres of music, traveling, and reading and doing research for work. Most importantly, he was a loving, fun and devoted husband, father and grandfather.

John received a B.S. from Lehigh University and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University. With a long and distinguished academic career, he faithfully served Virginia Tech for 37 years. He was a beloved teacher, mentor, and friend to many students from throughout the world and effectively taught in fields as wide ranging as transportation planning, quantitative research techniques, decision support systems and public administration.

John was the son of the late Franklin and Ruth Dickey and brother of the late Carol Lewis. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife Joyce, the love of his life for 55 years; son, John, Jr.; daughter, Janyne Mathena (Mark); grandson, Nathan; granddaughter, Katey; and many other loved relatives.

Although flowers are appreciated, John was always looking for ways to help others, so please consider giving to the Parkinson’s Foundation (https://parkinson.org/ways-to-give), a charity of your choice and/or, per his request, bring cookies to share at the celebration of his life at Blacksburg United Methodist Church at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2019.

Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home.