Robert E. Dickman (Commander, U.S. Navy, Retired), 90, passed away peacefully on Oct. 20, 2017, at The Community Hospice Bailey Family Center. Generous and loving, Robert was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
He was born on Nov. 24, 1926, in Denver, Colorado, as the youngest of two children to Walter and Elizabeth Dickman. After graduating from high school in 1944, he enrolled in the Navy Flight Training school during World War II. When the treaty was signed in 1945, and flight school was no longer an option, he enrolled in the ROTC program at University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1947. While in school, he met his future wife, Lois (Arlene) Shawley, on a blind date on a Sunday afternoon in 1946. They were married on July 26, 1947, in Boswell, Pennsylvania.
He spent 20 years in active duty in the Civil Engineer Corps of the U.S. Navy. While in the Navy, he subsequently received his bachelor's in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, in 1953, and his master of business administration from George Washington University, Washington, D.C., in 1963. He retired as a Commander on Nov. 1, 1967. He was then employed by George Washington University in the office of Government and Community Relations. In 1992, he retired from George Washington University and he and his wife, Arlene, moved to St. Augustine.
He was an avid gardener and as an active parishioner of St. Anastasia Catholic Church, and member of the gardening ministry. He and Arlene spent many hours in the gardens and grounds of the Church and Community Center.
Survivors include his children Carol (Geoff) Gartner, Glenda (Ritchie) Martinez, Richard (KC) Dickman, Jane Eastburn and Julia (Richard) Reno; 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Robert E. Dickman, Jr., parents Walter and Elizabeth Dickman, and brother Glen L. Dickman.
There will be a Memorial Mass at 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 13, at St. Anastasia Catholic Church.
In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to the Wounded Warriors Project.
Craig Funeral Home, Crematory and Memorial Park (www.craigfuneralhome.com) is in charge of the arrangements.
Craig Funeral Home Memorial Park
1475 Old Dixie Highway
St. Augustine, FL 32086
(904) 824-1672
Published in St. Augustine Record on Nov. 5, 2017
