Lonnie Goodwin Dickey

Lonnie Goodwin Dickey, 89, resident of Baytown and native of Orange County Texas, received healing grace and mercy when his Lord and Savior called him heavenward on August 23, 2019, after a lengthy battle with pulmonary fibrosis.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 27, 2019, at Cowboy Church in Orange. Officiating will be Pastor E. Dale Lee. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday, at Claybar Funeral Home in Bridge City.

Honoring Lonnie as pallbearers are his sons Lonnie H Dickey II and L. Craig Dickey, son-in-law Jimmie Porterfield, grandson Ross Dickey, lifetime friend Harold Scales and surrogate son Anthony (Tony) Dawson. It was Lonnie’s special request to recognize Ronnie Whitehead, Shawn Dickey, Jared Dickey, Caleb Hale, Keith Johnson, Cecil Scales Jr., A.L. Teaff Jr., R.C. Campbell and Al White as honorary pallbearers, and to ask that they might be joined in heart and hand by all who knew and loved him.

Lonnie was born July 9, 1930 in Beaumont TX to Lonnie H Dickey and Juanita Goodwin Dickey who preceded him in death. Also preceding Lonnie in death were Lonnie’s faithful dog Sasha, his stepfather Rev. Arthur Lee Teaff Sr, father-in-law Lloyd (Smiley) Davis, mother-in-law Iona (Onnie) Scales Davis Heathman Dailey, and lifetime friends/cousins Elvis and Bobbie McGuire.

Left to cherish Lonnie’s precious memory are his wife of 68 years, Norma Davis Dickey, Lonnie’s self-proclaimed “love and life.” Others surviving who hold him dearest are his children Bridgitt Dickey of Houston TX, Lonnie H (Lon) Dickey II and wife Terri of Llano TX, Lloyd “Craig” Dickey and wife Diane of Baytown TX, Sherrill (Sherri) Dickey Porterfield and husband Jimmie of Orange TX, and surrogate son Anthony (Tony) Dawson and wife Valerie of Newbury, England; grandchildren Rachel Hale and husband Stevan of LaPorte TX, Sherri Heath and husband Chris of Bellaire TX, Ross Dickey of Leander TX, Amanda Dickey Kirksey and husband Josh of Farmers Branch TX, Shawn Dickey of Apopka FL, Jared Dickey and Melody of Eustis FL, Keith Johnson and wife Magda of Mont Belvieu TX; great-grandchildren Caleb and Shelby Hale of LaPorte TX, Brandon Thomas and TJ Heath of Bellaire TX, Keila and Thayer Dickey of Leander TX, Holly Dickey of Brook Haven MS, Steven Johnson of Mont Belvieu TX, and Angela and Brayden Johnson of Mont Belvieu TX; step-siblings Rev A.L. Teaff Jr and wife Earlene of Burleson TX, Saralyn Winn of Oklahoma City OK and LaLee Igo and husband Joe of Granbury TX.

Lonnie served four years in the US Air Force, stationed at Shaftsbury AFB and Ruislip AFB in England, and McNeil AFB in Tampa FL. Though he began his career with Gulf Oil Refinery in Port Arthur in 1954 as a laborer, Lonnie held an executive position upon retirement from Gulf/Chevron/Amoco Petrochemicals Cedar Bayou plant in Baytown in 1992. Among his career achievements are special assignment to Japan as a refinery supervisor. Lonnie’s co-workers nicknamed him “The Legend” and affectionately called him “Papa Smurf.”

Lonnie’s late mother Juanita Dickey Teaff of Orange was also particularly proud her boy Lonnie was the grand prize winner in the Most Beautiful Baby in Orange contest circa 1932.

Lonnie held strong feelings about love of God, love of family and love of country. At his death, Lonnie was a member of the Cowboy Church of Orange County and a supporter of its arena ministry. An avid Bible scholar, Lonnie attended Cedar Bayou Methodist Church in Baytown and previously taught Sunday School at Winfree Baptist in Bridge City. In his earlier years, Lonnie’s favorite activities as a young father were entertaining his children and planning camping trips to national and state parks. His travel motto was, “See your country first.” Lonnie’s commitment to marriage as the foundation of family included a lifetime of dinner dates with his beloved wife Norma. Lonnie and Norma celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary two days before his death. A self-taught carpenter, plumber, gardener and internet researcher, Lonnie’s research mantra was, “Google it.” He studied recipes and became an accomplished home chef after his retirement. Lonnie had a tireless will to see a project to completion; at age 80, he rescued and rebuilt his mother-in-law’s Orangefield home after Hurricane Ike.

Special thanks to Lonnie’s children and grandchildren and their spouses for the love, help and concern during his home hospice care; special thanks also to extended family Ronnie and Jolene Whitehead, cousins Cory and Pete Brunson and all other friends and neighbors who provided outpourings of love with food and visits. The family would like to express heartfelt gratitude to Faith Hospice of Baytown, and to recognize Ruth, Felicia, Kay, Tina and Chaplain Paul for their compassionate care and concern. Their tireless efforts from March 7 to August 23 will be long remembered with love.