William Eugene (Gene) Dickey
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William Eugene (Gene) Dickey, age 77, of Columbia, Missouri, passed away on February 21, 2021 at Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. Gene, as he was affectionately known, was born March 30, 1943 in Windsor, Missouri to Elton and Emmogene (Cochran) Dickey.
He was in the Navy from 1961 to 1969 serving in the Vietnam war. He was on the USS Lester, USS Shangri-La, a submarine, then went to electrician school and worked on generators.
In September of 1968, Gene married Marlene Anne Gavula at the Byzantine Rite Greek Catholic Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He enjoyed any activity on the water, especially boating, water skiing and fishing. He loved coaching and was involved in Cub Scouts and was previously a Boy Scout.
Gene was proud to be a member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Thomas Moore Newman Center in Columbia.
Gene is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Marlene, of the home; Stephen & Jennifer Dickey and their children Derek and Nicole, Dennis & Brandy Dickey and son Austin Dickey, Kimberly Olsen and her daughters Haley Smith and Katelynn Smith as well as Katelynn’s son Jaeden Cooper, David Dickey and many other beloved family members and friends.
A funeral Mass will be held at St. Thomas Moore Newman Center, 602 Turner Ave., Columbia, Missouri 65201 at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 26th, with Fr. Dan Merz officiating. Masks are required for all attendees over the age of 10.
For those unable to attend, the Mass will be livestreamed via Facebook here: https://www.comonewman.org/view-newmans-livestream-mass/
The livestream will begin 15 minutes prior to the Mass time, and the video will be available to view at the same link after the Mass is over. You can view the livestream even if you do not have access to Facebook.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Wounded Warrior Project or any veteran’s organization of the donor’s choice.
I love you so much grandpa. I Never thought this would happen so soon! Please watch over me & your great grandson.
Gene you were a wonderful cousin and i loved you so much. growing up with you was always fun and exciting. I will miss your telephone calls asking “If i have received my obscene phone call today,” then we’d both laugh….
The hurt,` worry and struggle are over and it eases my mind to know
god will take care of you. Your memory will always stay in our hearts, until we meet again.
Uncle Gene you were an amazing man, father, grandpa, uncle and husband. I absolutely enjoyed every minute we got to spend with you and aunt Marlene. Thank you for all the wonderful memories, I will Cherish them forever! May you Rest In Peace, Dianne
Gene,
In 1966, Marlene (my twin sister) and I met you at the Elmwood Roller Skating Rink in Southwest Philadelphia. At the time, you were stationed at the Philadelphia Naval Base on the USS Shangri la. This is where our story begins. You always included me when you took Marlene out on a date and tried to fix me up with several of your friends; we had a lot of fun. Your favorite place to go when you visited us was “down the shore” as we Philadelphians call the seashore; e.g., Brigantine and Wildwood, New Jersey. When you had to use the electric wheelchair, you would go flying down the boardwalk and stopping off at the many stores especially the Donut Shop. I looked forward to the barbecue meal that you would prepare for us every year. We are sorry that we could not attend your funeral because Walt was scheduled for surgery; also, we were afraid to travel during the Pandemic. We will miss you very much, but know that you are in a better place and free of pain. We were happy that you were able to become a Catholic and join Walt as a fellow Knight in the Knights of Columbus. God bless you, Gene! We also want you to know that we will always be there for Marlene and your family, so please don’t worry.