RALPH E. DIMMICK

  
RALPH EDWARD DIMMICK "Ned"  
Ralph Edward "Ned" Dimmick passed away on November 9, 2015 at the age of 99. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 19, 1916, the son of Ralph Ballard Dimmick and Elsie Evelyn Ingalls Dimmick.Ned graduated from Butler High School in Butler, Pennsylvania in 1934, from Pennsylvania State College in 1937 and from Harvard University twice, in 1938 (A.M.) and in 1941 (Ph.D.). After teaching English for three years in Brazil, he returned to the United States to teach Romance languages and literature at Harvard and at Northwestern University. In 1952 Ned joined the staff of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States in Washington, DC, serving first as assistant to the Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs and subsequently as assistant to the Secretary General, working frequently at conferences throughout the hemisphere, for a period of four decades. Ned is responsible for a large body of translations, principally in the area of contemporary Latin American art, but he also translated and edited a brief history of Brazilian literature and a novel (Graciliano Ramos' Barren Lives).Much more than Ned's professional accomplishments, he lived the life of a true Christian. Although very humble and frugal himself, he gave generously of himself to his friends, family and to others that he met. He assisted numerous students from underprivileged backgrounds matriculate through school, and made a positive difference in the lives of many. Ned is survived by a nephew, Henry Dimmick, Jr., of Butler, Pennsylvania; a niece, Rebecca Scrivanich, of Windsor, California; six grand nieces and nephews; a sister-in-law, Mary Dimmick, of Butler, Pennsylvania; and by a foster son, David O. Davenport, of Washington, DC. A Celebration of life will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 11 a.m. at The Jefferson Monticello ballroom in Arlington, Virginia.The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Howard University: http://www.howard.edu/advancement/give/default.htm