Richard (Dick) Dillingham

Richard (Dick) Dillingham quietly passed away with his wife Dorothy by his side on December 26, 2013 at the age of 86. Funeral service will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, December 30th at the Hideaway Lake Community Church, Lindale, TX and the graveside service will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Sparkman Hillcrest Cemetery in Dallas on Tuesday, December 31st. Dick graduated from Abilene High School and Texas A&M after a 2 year break to serve in the U.S. Air Force. Dick started his professional career working in his father’s business – Banner Dairies, which later became Foremost Dairies. He later owned and managed a number of businesses that included an insurance company, a Dr Pepper Bottling Company franchise and two small manufacturing companies. In 1996, he retired from business to pursue his three favorite hobbies – golf, water color painting and pen and ink sketching. As a member of Preston Trails Golf Club, this self taught golfer won 4 club championships. Over the years he won a number of other tournaments and club championships. Additionally, he was a participating artist and partner in the Gallery 8 studio in Plano for 15 years where he sold his watercolor paintings and donated many more to charitable organizations. Dick was very creative and never without a new idea or opportunity to explore. People who knew Dick well know he loved being around people, never met a stranger and was a master storyteller. Most importantly he was a caring, sharing and loyal friend, as many of his friends at Hideaway Lake and Community Church would tell you. He was the eternal optimist – never facing a golf shot he couldn’t make, a business challenge that could not be handled or never watching a Dallas Cowboys game they could not win! Dick is survived by his wife Dorothy, his children; Dick Jr and his wife Judy (Dallas), Scott and his wife Deborah (Frisco) and Leigh Ann Wood and her husband Randy (McKinney). Also surviving Dick is his former wife, Louise Dillingham (Dallas), five grandchildren; Jenifer Dillingham, Rebecca Howe and her husband Allan, Ben Wood, Meredith Doherty and her husband Sean, Hayley Wood and his cousins Patricia and Cleber Massey, Charlotte and George Richards, Marilyn Golightly and Gay Reed. In June 2013, Dick’s first great grandchild was born, Thomas Richard Howe. Also sharing in their grief and loss is Dorothy’s family; daughter Suzanne Toler (Dallas) and granddaughter Andrea and her husband Trey Wamble, along with Dorothy’s “forever son” Larkin Toler. An Aggie through and through, just like the Aggies who “never lost a football game, they just ran out of time”, Dick never lost anything in life, he “just ran out of time”. The honorary pallbearers were: Bob Morgan, Bob Ammons, Ben Hughes, Jim Moser, Chuck Chamberlin, Ed Dowd, Larkin Toler and Ben Wood. Family requests memorials to either Hospice of East Texas 4111 University Blvd. Tyler,TX. 75701 or Hideaway Lake Community Church- Building Fund in lieu of flowers.

Richard (Dick) Dillingham

October 9, 1927 - December 26, 2013