Dickie Wicker

William Richard “Dickie” Wicker, age 78, of Gatesville, passed away Sunday, May 14, 2017. Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at Scott’s Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Chad Bertrand officiating. Burial will follow at Jonesboro Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral services at the funeral home. Dickie was born in a tent in the Turnover Community on Fort Hood on October 2, 1938 to the late Herman and Georgia Dorsey Wicker. He attended school in the Plainview Community, Gatesville, and then Jonesboro. In the eighth grade, when he moved to Jonesboro, he met Jimmie Del Watson, who he dated until they married in 1959. In 1960, their daughter, Mary, was born and then eight years later, their son, Mark. In the early years of their marriage, Dickie worked for Texaco driving a gas truck. Later, he became an employee of the Texas Highway Department where he worked for 30 years until retiring. Before his retirement, Dickie was an avid hunter and fisherman. He loved country music, driving heavy equipment, whittling, watching westerns, and talking. He “never met a stranger.” After retirement, however, his life took several unexpected turns. He and Jimmie Del moved to Jonesboro to take care of Jimmie’s father and soon took on the responsibility of raising two of their grandchildren, Libby and Sara, as well. His daily routine soon included driving his truck to drink coffee with the guys with a little girl in tow, heading to feed the cows with a diaper pack on the back of the 4-wheeler, and playing with Barbies. He began driving a bus in Jonesboro to help with expenses, since Jimmie was still teaching in Gatesville. Around this time in life, he began having health problems. Dickie was told by his doctor that he needed to consider having bypass surgery. His response was, “let’s do it now, because I have two little girls to help raise.” And when he left this world, he had lived to see all of his grandchildren become happy and successful adults. Although he didn’t talk much over the past few years, he never failed to smile when someone mentioned his grandchildren or great-grandchildren. Dickie was ordained a deacon at Eastwood Baptist Church. He went on to serve as a deacon at First Baptist Church in Gatesville and Jonesboro Baptist Church. Finally, he returned to First Baptist Church in Gatesville where he remained until illness forced him to become inactive. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Betty Jeanne Necessary. Dickie is survived his wife of 58 years, Jimmie Del Wicker; daughter, Mary Kafer and husband, Gary; son, Mark Wicker; four grandchildren, Canyon Kafer, Sara Wicker and fiancé, Mike Rodriquez, Libby Jackson and husband, Troy, and Mary Haven Wicker; and four great-grandchildren, Lilly, Lincoln, Hazel, and Ryan. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the First Baptist Church Academy, 912 E. Main Street, Gatesville, TX 76528 or to the Gatesville Care Center, 105 N. 7th Street, Gatesville, TX 76528.