Rev. Willie Furman Dicks, Jr.

Chaplain Major (Ret) Willie Furman Dicks, Jr., departed this earthly life on Friday, November 27, 2020, in Sumter, South Carolina. He was born on November 12, 1949, in Sumter, to Mrs. Addell Singleton Dicks and the late Willie F. Dicks, Sr. Chaplain Dicks was baptized, confirmed and raised as a member of Emmanuel United Methodist Church, his family's home church for generations, in Sumter. He was educated in the public schools of Sumter County, graduating from Lincoln High School in the Class of 1967. He furthered his education at Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Biology in 1971. There, Willie was inducted into Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, Incorporated. In 1976, he was licensed to preach by the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and graduated in 1979 with a Master of Divinity degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center and Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia. While in seminary, he served several churches in the North Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. After graduating from seminary, he served as pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Sumter and pastor of the Marion Parish (Bethel, Springville, and Pleasantville United Methodist Churches) in Marion, South Carolina, until his April 8, 1985 appointment to serve as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force. His assignments as an Air Force Chaplain were as follows: Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, Colorado; Osan Air Force Base, Republic of South Korea; Carswell Air Force Base, Fort Worth, Texas; Walter Reed Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia; Scott Air Force Base, Bellville, Illinois; Charleston Air Force Base, Charleston, South Carolina; Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter; and his final assignment Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia. He retired from the Air Force after twenty years of honorable service on April 1, 2005. Rev. Dicks returned to the South Carolina Annual Conference and served as pastor of Oro United Methodist Church in Pageland, South Carolina, New Hope United Methodist Church in Ridgeville, South Carolina, St. Paul United Methodist Church in Ravenel, South Carolina, and St. Matthews United Methodist Church and Emmanuel United Methodist Church, both in Camden, South Carolina. Rev. Dicks retired in June 2020 as an Elder with forty-three years of service. He had an infectious personality and a singing voice that graced and touched many lives throughout his ministry. His special love for his family and friends was priceless. He leaves to honor and cherish precious memories his wife, Kechia Crump McSwain Dicks of the home; three daughters: Melissa Evette Dicks of Charlotte, North Carolina, Adriene Monique Dicks of Atlanta, Georgia, and Keshana Crump of New Orleans, Louisiana; two sons: Kelvin (Jade) McSwain, Jr. of Hawaii and Kemon McSwain of Anchorage, Alaska; eight grandchildren; a loving 95-year-old mother Addell Singleton Dicks of Columbia, South Carolina; a brother Rev. John (Beverly) Dicks, Sr. and their four children: Keisha (Patrick) Ware, Tomika (Antwan) Brown, John William (Keisha) Dicks, Jr., and Kayla Dicks; two sisters-in-law: Giselle Larkins and Denise Smith; five brothers-in-law: Kevin (Darlene) Dunnaway, Ricky (Sylvia) Crump, Frank (Annette) Crump, Brent Crump, Noel (Theve) Crump, and Woodrow (Shirley) Singleton; a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: Emmanuel United Methodist Church Building Fund PO Box 1203 Sumter, South Carolina 29151

Rev. Willie Furman Dicks, Jr.

November 12, 1949 - November 27, 2020