Raymond “Bud” P. Dickey, 77, of Londonderry, NH, passed away Friday, March 7, 2025, in Parkland Medical Center, Derry, NH. He was born on August 20, 1947 in Lowell, MA, the son of Raymond and Ethel (Balnis) Dickey, and had been a resident of Londonderry for the past 45 years in the house that he designed.
Bud grew up in Tewksbury, MA and enjoyed hot rods, drag racing, camping and going to the family camp in Sangerville, ME. He enlisted in the Navy in 1965 after graduating from Tewksbury High School and served 2 tours, spending most of his time in Vietnam patrolling the rivers in a small Boston Whaler mounted with machine guns, on Swift Boats as a gunner's mate, and on the USS Franklin Delano Roosevelt aircraft carrier. He was the "go to" guy and maintained vehicles and buildings in Vietnam, flying to Saigon often to pick up parts and enjoy a ribeye steak dinner. He met Brenda in between tours from Vietnam and returned to marry her and work with his father in the family business as an iron worker/welder which he later continued with his son, Chris. He was predeceased by Janice "Dee" Elliott in 1970, whom he affectionately referred to as his "kid sister". They were very close, born a year and 8 days apart and spent many hours together devising plans to have their accordions stolen so they would no longer have to go to the lessons they endured for 9 years. Her untimely death was a profound tragedy he never got over.
Bud was a rebel and an adventurer. He lived on his own terms and had a brilliant mind, never having much patience for authority figures. He enjoyed scuba diving, flying his Cessna 172 and patiently towing friends and family water skiing around Center Pond on his SeaDoo. He loved to have a good time, was a great dancer, enjoyed a Crown Royal with Chelmsford ginger ale or a Miller High Life. He loved good music, especially from the 60s and 70s. He had an appreciation for a clean design aesthetic and talent in any form, often brought to tears by ingenuity. He was an avid reader and particularly loved dark Stephen King novels and humorous stories from Patrick McManus. He liked people to think he was a tough guy, but we all knew he was a softy. He made people feel safe and loved. He could fix anything and did so for many people, be it a washer machine or a car and never wanted payment for his services. He always had his eye on the side of the road, picking up whatever freebee was there because there would definitely be a use for it someday! His favorite place was sitting on the deck up at the camp looking out at the water. He did this for days every summer. He was a nature and animal lover. The steady stream of hand-me-down cats hit the jackpot with Bud as their caretaker, providing an endless source of love and play; toys, treats and food measured out at regular intervals throughout the day.
He is survived by his loving wife, Brenda (Coffin) Dickey; daughter, Jessica Janice Dickey, her sons Owen and Gage Freiermuth; son, Christopher Raymond Dickey, his wife, Jennifer (Donnelly), and their children, Miles and Caroline; nephew, Todd Elliott, and many extended family members and friends. He was adoringly known as "Bubba" to his four grandchildren. He will be missed by many with his constant sarcasm, innovative creativity, dry sense of humor, reliable work ethic, and helping with his broad mechanical abilities.
Calling hours will be held on Friday, March 14, 2025, from 4:00PM to 5:30PM with a memorial service and military honors to start at 5:30PM in the Peabody Funeral Homes & Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Rd., Londonderry. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to The Headstrong Project or the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's research.