Ronald E. Dickens
ST. ALBANS: Ronald Eugene Dickens passed away peacefully after a fearless battle with cancer on December 11, 2020. He was born November 23, 1944 to Geneva Holmes and John Dickens in St Louis, Missouri.
Ron was a trail blazer. He chose to attend one of the very first integrated high schools in St. Louis, in the 1950s. This came with many challenges, but he maintained very good grades, and was able to attend Junior College. Ron has fearlessly spoken out for racial equality throughout his life.
Ron had a passion for learning. He was always watching the news and informational and historical shows on TV, when he wasn’t watching Law and Order. Ron loved airplanes. He was often either building model airplanes or watching the airplanes take off at the Burlington airport. Ron worked in the nuclear physics lab at the University of Washington in Seattle where he met Diane Pierce at the famous Blue Moon Tavern. Ron and Diane shared many years together, and joyously brought their daughter Zoe into the world.
Ron met Cathy Cross at Martha’s Kitchen in St. Albans, where she generously offered him a place to stay for the winter, they have been in love ever since.
He was known as Dr. Ron on his favorite park bench in St Albans. People would come, sit on the bench, and tell him their troubles. Ron was always gushing about how proud he was of his daughter. Ron was especially proud to protest alongside his daughter Zoe, in spirit, last summer in the Black Lives Matter protests.
He is survived by his girlfriend, Cathy Cross, the mother of his daughter, Diane Pierce, and his daughter, Zoe Pierce-Dickens. Ron is predeceased by his parents.
You are invited to the Celebration of Life for Ron on Friday, July 9th at 8:30 am at St. Paul’s Methodist Church, 11 Church St., St. Albans.
