J. Michael Dickey

J. Michael Dickey of Winston-Salem, NC passed away peacefully on February 3, 2023, surrounded by both his children. 

Born August 23, 1942 in Michigan, he graduated from the University of Virginia with a BS in Education and an MED in Mathematics Education.  He was a life-long teacher, and taught at North Cross School (Roanoke, VA), Forsyth Country Day School (Winston-Salem, NC), Charlotte Latin School (Charlotte, NC), and Bladen County Community College (Elizabethtown, NC).  He loved his students, taking delight in both teaching them and hearing from them over the years.  In addition to being a brilliant teacher, he was a mathematician, origami artist, musician, reader, and infinitely curious human.

He loved olives and gardens, almonds and toffee, fractals in nature and absolutely all animals, from vultures to chickens to anoles to cats.  He could make almost anything grow; could play saxophone, recorder, banjo, guitar, dulcimer and piano; was a scrabble whiz; and used to make chemical experiments in baby food jars for his kids to take to show and tell at school.  He composed a special song for his wife of 48 years, Claire Dickey, who preceded him in death, and anytime he played it she would stop whatever she was doing to come and kiss him.

He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Laura Walsh Dickey, of Pittsburgh, PA; his grandchildren, Alana Dickey (Charlottesville, VA), and Nolan Dickey (San Francisco, CA); and his daughter, Ruth Dickey of Brooklyn, NY. 

A celebration of his life will take place on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 2 p.m., at Hayworth-Miller Silas Creek Chapel (3315 Silas Creek Pkwy, Winston-Salem, NC 27103), with a reception to follow in the Robert F. Miller Center at the funeral home.