Aaron Conrad Dickey

Aaron Conrad Dickey passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his loved ones on March 30, 2024 at the age of 94 in Spanish Fork. He was born on February 20, 1930 to Allen B. and Ethel Nelson Dickey in Orem, Utah, he was the eighth of thirteen children. He always spoke highly of his brothers and sisters and appreciated how good they were to him.

Aaron’s formative years were spent in Orem where he developed his strong work ethic beginning with a Salt Lake Tribune paper route. As a child, his family had a farm and fruit orchard. His father, Allen had the coal contract with the Alpine School District so between hauling coal and harvesting the fruit, he missed a lot of school but managed to complete high school.

He graduated from LDS Seminary in 1947 and Lincoln High School in 1949. Aaron had a patriotic soul and enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 18. Following basic training at Fort Ord, CA, he was stationed at Fort Lewis, WA and later transferred to Fort Wainright, AK. Serving his country continued when he worked civil service at Hill AFB. During this time frame, he met his sweetheart, Marion Carlton. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 10, 1954.

Shortly after they wed, he filled out an inquiry card for a position at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage and got the position. He didn’t realize how serious that inquiry card was, so he left his new bride in Utah and went to Alaska in December 1954.

Aaron and Marion’s Alaska adventure began when he returned for his bride, travelling the Alaska highway back to Spenard, AK. They bought their first home in Spenard for $2500.00 with a down payment of only $25.00. While living there, they welcomed their first child in 1956 and returned to Utah in 1957 to establish their home in Orem. Their little family grew with nine additional children over the next 23 years.

Aaron was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a leader in the Cub Scout program while his children were young. Later on, Aaron was called as Elder’s Quorum President, Secretary of the Seventy, Branch Clerk, Ward Clerk and Gospel Doctrine teacher. One of the most rewarding callings he held was the Civic Affairs Committee. This experience got him involved in the local area government and he got to know many local leaders.

His interest in electronics followed him to the military where he was a Staff Sergeant. Originally, he was a supply clerk and worked in the film library until he was rigging up an antenna for his radio, which caught the attention of his superiors. He was called before a board to inquire what he knew about radio. He bluffed his way through this interview and his MOS was changed to radio operator and repairman. In this capacity, very early on the morning of June 25, 1950, he was in the radio room when he was one of the first to hear that North Korea had crossed the 38th parallel. He shared this information with his buddies but no one took him seriously. By 6 a.m., the news had spread and the Korean War had begun.

At one point Aaron was chosen to deliver a piece of equipment from Elmendorf to Hill Air Force base to be calibrated. While he was home, he applied for a civilian position at Geneva Steel. They were impressed with his qualifications and told him as soon as he returned to Utah, he would have a job at the plant. His employment at Geneva Steel began in 1957 as an instrument repairman in the Nitrogen Plant but he eventually worked in all areas of the plant. He received many letters of commendation for his continued education in the US Steel Industrial Studies Program and for increasing his value to his department. He also custom built a carbon analyzer for use at the plant and was allowed to keep it when he retired after working for 38 years.

For many years, Aaron had a weekly tradition of going to the Redwood Road Swap meet. It was a family affair and the best part was always stopping at Holiday Oil on 3300 South on the way home for treats.

Aaron had a particular set of skills- often self-taught – and by his example, he taught his children the value of hard work. His children were exposed to mechanics, welding, metal work, woodworking and they had the benefit of many hands-on experiences due to the equipment he had in his shop. Aaron was a well-seasoned tinkerer and was an expert on anything mechanical. He built and sold compressors and generators and had more than his fair share of audio and video equipment. During the Y2K craze, generators were his focus and he sold them all over the western states. His mechanical ability saved a lot of money over the years because he could fix virtually anything. In his adult life, Aaron always had his side gigs: he had his own excavation business, sold firewood, did weed cutting, rototilling, snow removal, and many other odd jobs. Aaron attended Radio and TV school in Salt Lake City. He later got licensed to be a HAMM radio operator and was a member of the MARS (Military Affiliate Radio System) through the Army and Air Force.

In addition to his family, he also had a deep love for music and classic movies, especially musicals. Above all, he loved his dogs. There was never a time since he first went to Alaska that he was without a dog. One of his rituals, until he could no longer get outside, was taking his dog Sabrina on a 5-block run every day with him while he operated his scooter. He was known as “the old guy with his dog” in the neighborhood.

Aaron is survived by, Marion, his wife of 70 years, his children: Gerry (Susie) Dickey, Genola; Ben Dickey, Provo; Faydene Nottingham, Spanish Fork; Mary Jo (Ross) Brinkerhoff, Orem; Glen Dickey, Joseph Dickey and Daniel Dickey, Spanish Fork; 29 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild; his sisters, Mary Lou Musselman and Marjorie Butler, North Ogden and his faithful baby dog, Sabrina.

Aaron was preceded in death by his parents, Allen and Ethel Dickey, his children James Dickey, Donna Molyneux, and Sharon Dickey; his siblings: Woodrow, Ralph, Leland, Benjamin, Cecil, Arnold, and Allen “Mick” Dickey; Virginia Taylor, Genevieve Jacklin, Zola Mitchell and his grandchildren; Mary Ruth Dickey, Jennifer Dickey, Stephanie Bishop and Brennan Dickey.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 5, 2024 at the Spanish Fork 10th Ward Chapel, 353 East 400 North, Spanish Fork, Utah. The family will receive friends at the Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 East Center Street, Thursday, April 4, from 6:00-8:00 p.m., and at the church Friday, from 9:30-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.bergmortuary.com.