Obituary of Ronald Dickens

Ronald Mac Dickens, 66, of rural Liberal, MO, passed away October 10, 2013 after a long illness. Ronnie was born August 18, 1947, in Springfield, MO, to Bruce and Jean Dickens and grew up in the Fair Grove, MO area. He graduated from Fair Grove High School in 1965. Ronnie graduated from SMSU with a degree in Agriculture in 1969, and later returned to complete teaching requirements for Agricultural Education, which he finished in 1987. Early in his life, he helped his father, Bruce run a dairy farm, and later Ronnie had his own dairy and also became a Real Estate Broker. After moving his family to Liberal in 1987, Ronnie taught Vocational Agriculture at Liberal R-II Schools for twenty four plus years. Ronnie earned recognition as Teacher of the Year and many other honors as an agricultural educator as well as moving through the ranks of VoAg Teachers in Missouri to finally become their state president. Ronnie was committed to his students and could be found most evenings and weekends working as the FFA Advisor or working at school athletic programs. Ronnie loved sports and was a successful junior high girls' basketball coach as well as a successful high school girls' softball coach at Liberal Schools for over twenty years. He was also a baseball and softball umpire and basketball referee for twenty years. He was able to help some of his students travel to Europe as well as his taking them on many leadership trips to Washington D.C, and other places in the USA. Ronnie loved his work and was loved by his students and fellow teachers. He was a member of the Fair Grove Baptist Church. Ronnie is survived by his wife, Denise, and children, Marty and Teresa Dickens, Fair Grove, MO, Terri and John Brown, Willard, MO, April Edwards, Liberal, MO, Jeff and Loa Bowne, Independence, MO, and Dr. David Bowne, Phoenix, AZ. He is survived by fifteen grandchildren and one great granddaughter; as well as his mother, Jean Dickens, Springfield, MO, and sisters Pat Germany, Springfield, MO, and Kathy and Ron Wilken, Preston, MO. The family asks that contributions be made to the Ron Dickens Agriculture Scholarship at Liberal RII Schools, Liberal, MO, in lieu of flowers.