Obituary of Royce Edwin Dickens

Royce Edwin Dickens, best known as “Edd”, of West Jefferson passed away quietly in his home June 17, 2019 at the age of 86.

He was born December 10, 1932 in Corinth, North Carolina to Royce B. Dickens and Sadie Denson Dickens.  He was a graduate of Moncure High School.

Edd served in the United States Army as a medic at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC.  He later retired from Weyerhaeuser Company and ran a lumber yard for Louisiana Pacific, moving to Ashe county to fulfill a lifelong dream of retiring in the mountains of NC.  In his younger days, Edd pitched baseball for the farm team to the Milwaukee (later Atlanta) Braves.  He loved baseball pitching many “no-hitter” games. He was a talented woodworker, making many beautiful pieces of furniture for family and friends. He was also a member of the Chatham Squares square dancing club and sang in a gospel music quartet. Edd was an avid golfer and spent much of his free time at Mountain Aire golf course as a ranger as well as playing the game as often as he could.  He dedicated his life to being a loving husband and a caring father, grandfather and friend to so many both “up” and “down” the mountain, as he would say.

He was a devoted and active member of Bethany Methodist Church in West Jefferson, NC along with his wife Betsy.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 3pm at Bethany United Methodist Church with Pastor Dan Money officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends on Saturday from 1-3pm, June 22nd at the Bethany United Methodist Church fellowship hall.

Surviving are his wife of 19 years Betsy Edwards Dickens; two daughters, Gay Hunt of Pittsboro, and Ginger Broussard and husband Kevin of Zebulon, one sister; Harriet George of Moncure, two grandchildren; Chad Dickens and Brandy Morrison, two great grandchildren; Hunter Thomas and Kinsley Morrison, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins also survive.  He was preceded in death by his first wife, Peggy Dickens;  parents, Royce and Sadie Dickens; sisters, Marie Wicker and Betty McLean and brother, Henry Dickens.

Flowers are welcomed or donations can be made to Bethany United Methodist Church Picnic Shelter Memorial.  Address:  Bethany United Methodist Church, 495 Hwy 194 South, West Jefferson, NC  28694, Telephone: (336) 877-2801