ASU supporter Verde Dickey was much more than a ‘booster’
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu...rter-verde-dickey-much-more-than-booster.html
Back in 2009 Don Bocchi, a senior associate athletic director at Arizona State, was recalling a conversation he had with Lisa Love, then the school’s athletic director, about Verde Dickey, the longtime university supporter who passed away Saturday at 81.
Bocchi and Love were discussing the state-of-the-art athletic facilities springing up east of Rural Road on ASU’s Tempe campus, including the indoor football practice facility that originally was to be called the Verde Dickey Center in honor of Dickey.
“Dickey Dome” had a nicer ring to it, and that name eventually stuck.
But during the discussion, Love asked Bocchi whether Dickey had been involved in improvements made at Karsten Golf Course, including a computer lab next to the practice facility.
Bocchi said that, yes, Dickey had helped out with that.
She asked if he had contributed to the development of the Weatherup Basketball Center and the Athletes Performance Center next to it. And how about the complex for gymnastics and wrestling?
Yes, Bocchi told Love, Dickey had chipped in on all of those projects and had seen that the basketball locker room at Wells Fargo Arena was redone for former ASU coach Rob Evans.
By the time she had ticked off all the projects Dickey had a hand in, she and Bocchi decided maybe they ought to just go ahead and name the entire complex after him. Thus, the Dickey East Athletics Village got its name.
Until the Athletics Village was dedicated, many ASU fans hadn’t heard of Dickey.
And he liked it that way.
“For a long time, he didn’t want his name to be on anything,” said Dickey’s wife, Cathy.
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A former board member of the PGA of America, Dickey also had a soft spot for ASU’s golf programs. He often contributed to young players from the men’s and women’s program trying to make their way on the various professional tours.
However, Dickey’s philanthropy spread across all of ASU’s campuses, and he had a special affection for the Sun Devil Marching Band.
He measured all college marching bands against the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band of Texas A&M and supported ASU’s band director Jim Hudson every bit as much as any of the Sun Devils coaches.
Dickey didn’t just write a check, either.
When he paid for new uniforms for the band, he consulted with the costume designer working on them. When he contributed for athletic facilities, he met regularly with architects and project managers.
“He became very involved in every project. He was always hands-on,” Cathy Dickey said.
In addition to his wife, Dickey leaves behind sons Tod (Suzanne), Ken and Russell (Erika) and two granddaughters, Jacqueline and Lauren.
A memorial service is planned for 10 a.m. March 7 at the Dickey Dome.
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RIP, Verde Dickey.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu...rter-verde-dickey-much-more-than-booster.html
Back in 2009 Don Bocchi, a senior associate athletic director at Arizona State, was recalling a conversation he had with Lisa Love, then the school’s athletic director, about Verde Dickey, the longtime university supporter who passed away Saturday at 81.
Bocchi and Love were discussing the state-of-the-art athletic facilities springing up east of Rural Road on ASU’s Tempe campus, including the indoor football practice facility that originally was to be called the Verde Dickey Center in honor of Dickey.
“Dickey Dome” had a nicer ring to it, and that name eventually stuck.
But during the discussion, Love asked Bocchi whether Dickey had been involved in improvements made at Karsten Golf Course, including a computer lab next to the practice facility.
Bocchi said that, yes, Dickey had helped out with that.
She asked if he had contributed to the development of the Weatherup Basketball Center and the Athletes Performance Center next to it. And how about the complex for gymnastics and wrestling?
Yes, Bocchi told Love, Dickey had chipped in on all of those projects and had seen that the basketball locker room at Wells Fargo Arena was redone for former ASU coach Rob Evans.
By the time she had ticked off all the projects Dickey had a hand in, she and Bocchi decided maybe they ought to just go ahead and name the entire complex after him. Thus, the Dickey East Athletics Village got its name.
Until the Athletics Village was dedicated, many ASU fans hadn’t heard of Dickey.
And he liked it that way.
“For a long time, he didn’t want his name to be on anything,” said Dickey’s wife, Cathy.
----
A former board member of the PGA of America, Dickey also had a soft spot for ASU’s golf programs. He often contributed to young players from the men’s and women’s program trying to make their way on the various professional tours.
However, Dickey’s philanthropy spread across all of ASU’s campuses, and he had a special affection for the Sun Devil Marching Band.
He measured all college marching bands against the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band of Texas A&M and supported ASU’s band director Jim Hudson every bit as much as any of the Sun Devils coaches.
Dickey didn’t just write a check, either.
When he paid for new uniforms for the band, he consulted with the costume designer working on them. When he contributed for athletic facilities, he met regularly with architects and project managers.
“He became very involved in every project. He was always hands-on,” Cathy Dickey said.
In addition to his wife, Dickey leaves behind sons Tod (Suzanne), Ken and Russell (Erika) and two granddaughters, Jacqueline and Lauren.
A memorial service is planned for 10 a.m. March 7 at the Dickey Dome.
----
RIP, Verde Dickey.
