Roy Shelton Dickson, Jr., of Gallatin, Tennessee, passed away on June 10th, 2026.

Roy was born on August 29th, 1933, in a taxicab on the way to the hospital in Lewiston, Idaho. He was the son of Roy S. Dickson, Sr. (1901-1958) and Ethel Alice Means Dickson (1903-1982). He was raised with his beloved sister Dorothy Jean Dickson McLaren (1931-2020).

Roy’s father was a pioneer aviator. Shortly after Roy Jr.’s birth, the family moved to Anchorage, Alaska where his father was a bush pilot. With World War II looming, Roy Sr. became a test pilot for Lockheed Aircraft, and the family moved around to Southern California; then Dallas, Texas; then back to California. With the war winding down in 1945, Roy Sr. became a corporate pilot for Phillips Petroleum Company, and the family moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Roy Jr. earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the University of Tulsa, and a graduate degree in Management from MIT. He began his 34-year career at Phillips Petroleum Company in 1953. He became part of the original Computing Department in 1958 and for 12 years, was Senior Executive in charge of Information Technology company-wide. He was professionally active in the SHARE International Computer Users Group and was president of the organization in 1956. He retired from Phillips in 1986 and was an Information Technology Consultant before fully retiring.

Roy co-authored the book Data Processing in 1980-1985: A Study of Potential Limitations to Progress, published in several languages, in 1974. With his sister, he co-authored the book Roy Dickson 1930’s Alaska Bush Pilot. In addition, he published several books on genealogy and family histories.

Roy is a Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellow. He served as a board member of the Red Cross, United Community Fund, Bartlesville Public School Foundation, and the National Board of the US Table Tennis Association. His hobbies included breeding, training and showing Appaloosa horses. He also enjoyed fishing trips to Alaska and British Columbia, and his favorite sport was fly fishing on the gold-metal waters of the Colorado River, where he spent many happy hours.

Roy is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Cassandra Grace Bennett Dickson; daughter Julia Kay Skelton of Pink, OK; son Roy S. Dickson III “Shelton” of Nashville, TN; special niece Sharon A. Brady and husband Kevan of Glenwood Springs, CO; special nephew Scott A. McLaren and wife Mary, along with their children Cecilia, Lucy, and Will of Tampa, FL.

Arrangements are entrusted to Sumner Funeral and Cremation, 615-452-9059, www.sumnerfuneral.com