Dr. James L. Dickens, 85, of Fitzgerald died September 9, 2006, at his residence.
Funeral Services will be held 4:30 PM, Sunday, September 10, at the Paulk Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Kelly Brown officiating. Interment will follow in Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7-9 Saturday evening at the funeral home.
Dr. Dickens was born May 29, 1921, in Tifton, to the late Samuel Peter and Mamie Daugharty Dickens. He was a 1938 graduate of Fitzgerald High School, and a graduate of South Georgia College and Mercer University. In November 1943, he graduated from the Emory University Dental School. He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy. Dr. Dickens career began in Douglas with Dr. Davis. After nine months, he returned to Fitzgerald. In December 1950, he was called back to active duty during the Korean War with the U.S. Navy. His return to Fitzgerald in July 1952, saw the opening of his private practice.
Dr. Dickens’ many civic and community activities include: membership in the American Dental Association, lifetime membership in the Georgia Dental Association, membership in the Southwest Georgia Dental Association, charter member and secretary of the Ben Hill County Volunteer Fire Department, member of the Board of Directors of East Central Technical College, and membership in the Elks Lodge, American Legion Post 99, Fitzgerald Boat Club, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The Alumni Association of Emory University honored Dr. Dickens in 2004 by inducting him into Corpus Cordis Aureum (The Golden Corps of the Heart) and presenting him with a gold medallion.
Dr. Dickens is survived by his wife: Lallie C. “Penny” Dickens of Fitzgerald; as well as several nieces and nephews including: Karen Spivey, Elaine Womack, Charlene Lankford, and Kent Walker. He was preceded in death by a brother and two sisters.