Dr. Ouida Word Dickey: A legend then and now
Ouida Word, from Wildwood, Florida, came to Berry College in 1946. She never looked back. In her years as a student at Berry and subsequently a faculty member, she epitomized the college motto, “Not to be ministered unto, but to minister.”
The Berry College chapel
Jan. 25, 2020: The memorial service for Dr. Ouida Word Dickey was held at the Berry College Chapel. The location of the service was as symbolic as it was significant.
Jan. 16, 1950: Ouida Word graduated from Berry College. Graduation was held in the chapel. The next day, Jan. 17, 1950, Ouida returned to the chapel to wed Garland Dickey. A graduate of Berry, he was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II who returned to Berry to serve on its faculty.
Before the memorial service began, I thought of the many events Dr. Dickey attended through the years in this very chapel. The memorial service for the Berry students killed in WWII. Dr. Dickey’s wedding in 1950. Graduation ceremonies, such as her own in 1950, and those of her daughters, both of whom graduated from Berry College.
The memorial service
I watched people arrive for her memorial service. People spoke to her daughters, Jennifer and Angela. Attending the service were their childhood friends ... Berry College faculty members ... friends from church ... those of us who were in community organizations with Ouida ... friends from the neighborhood ... former students of Dr. Ouida Dickey and her husband, the late Dr. Garland Dickey ... cousins and other family members ... family members of her Berry classmates ... and people such as I, whose family were among her many longtime friends.
Eulogies for Dr. Dickey
On giving a eulogy for Dr. Ouida Dickey, a former student of the late Dr. Garland Dickey made us laugh. She stated that one day she went to pick up Dr. Ouida Dickey for a meeting. The former student wore a wrinkled linen blazer that day. Noticing the wrinkled blazer, Dr. Ouida Dickey politely remarked, “I buy starch for $1 at the Dollar General store.”
Her daughters, Angela and Jennifer, each gave delightful remembrances of their mother. Jennifer spoke about how her mother liked to travel. She gave an atlas to Jennifer and Angela. She also gave them pins to mark the places where they traveled. Who do you suppose had the most pins in their atlas? Angela the foreign diplomat? No. Dr. Dickey.
Throughout the memorial service, her razor-sharp editing skills were mentioned. When she reviewed a document, she was well known for returning it to the writer well marked with a red pen. I imagined submitting a draft of this column to Dr. Dickey for her review. Would she return it with a host of red marks? Would she be pleased with it?
A legend then and now
Elegant, graceful and regal in stature, she was the original steel magnolia. Well known for her appearance, her many accomplishments and her high standards, She excelled at everything in which she was involved. Dr. Dickey had an enthusiasm for life that was delightful. She inspired all of us who were fortunate enough to know her.
Through her years on the Berry College faculty, Dr. Dickey expected nothing but the best from her students. She encouraged her students. She could see their potential and was thrilled when her students excelled. I believe it was her daughter Angela who said, “It was not always easy being the daughter of Dr. Ouida Dickey.” Indeed. She had high expectations for her family as well.
Berry College is steeped in tradition, much of it influenced by her. One of the people who gave a eulogy for her said, “Dr. Dickey wrote about the history of Berry College and shaped its history as well.” Indeed. That is an excellent way to remember her. Dr. Ouida Word Dickey, a legend then, and now.