William Howard DYKES

DYKES, William Howard Age 80 of Mt. Juliet, TN, passed away peacefully in his sleep, Sunday morning, December 12, 2010. He was an intelligent, encouraging and devoted son, brother, husband, daddy and granddaddy. Howard was the son of William Lee and Vada Ellen Fulcher Dykes of Somerset, KY. As the son of a poor tenant farmer and preacher, he overcame many obstacles to receive an Associate's degree from Cumberland College in Williamsburg, KY. While attending Cumberland, he met the love of his life, Mary Ann McIntyre, and they were married on June 30, 1955. He continued his education at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, earning a Bachelor's Degree in civil engineering. He held both a professional engineer's license and a professional surveyor's license. Mr. Dykes enjoyed a long career as an engineer with the Federal Government's Water Resources Division in the State of Tennessee. When Howard retired, he and Mary Ann opened a professional photography business, Dykes Photography, and spent many happy years photographing weddings, dances, families, children and babies. He was a compassionate caretaker for Mary Ann during her five year battle with breast cancer. After her death, he wrote "Meet Will" as a special surprise during Camp Granddaddy, a yearly event he hosted for his grandchildren. "Meet Will" is a compilation of his experiences growing up during the Depression. "Christmas 1936," a chapter from "Meet Will" won 2nd place in the Nonfiction Category of the Tennessee Mountain Writing Contest in 2007, and was published in the November/December 2009 issue of "Good Old Days Magazine." Howard was also a health enthusiast; he constantly researched vitamin supplements and healthy food choices, walked several miles a day and weight lifted at the Mt. Juliet Community Center. In fact, he did 120 pushups the day before he died. Howard spent much of this past year in Somerset, KY "courting" (as he would say) his high school sweetheart, Betty Jo Norton. Howard was preceded by his infant brother, Forrest John Dykes; his parents, William Lee and Vada Ellen Fulcher Dykes; his brother, Samuel Lloyd Dykes of Cincinnati, OH; and his wife of 48 years, Mary Ann McIntyre Dykes. He is survived by daughters, Margie Dykes (Steve) Smith and Jackie Ellen (Keith) Chafin; grandchildren, Andrew Nevin Smith, Sarah Caylor Smith and Rachel McIntyre Smith; sister, Ida Elizabeth Wilson; brother, Joseph Lee Dykes and numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be conducted 1 p.m. EST Friday, December 17, 2010 at Hickey and Son Funeral Home, 416 N. Main Street, Monticello, KY with Dr. James Floyd and Dr. Steve Smith officiating. Interment will follow at Elk Spring Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mt. Juliet Library, 2765 N. Mt. Juliet Road, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122. Visitation will be 2-4 p.m. Thursday at Bond Memorial Chapel, and one hour prior to services Friday at Hickey and Son Funeral Home. Arrangements by BOND MEMORIAL CHAPEL, N. Mt. Juliet Road and Weston Drive, Mt. Juliet, TN (615) 773-2663; Obit Line, (615) 641-2663. www.bondmemorial.com