Remembering David Dick
With publication of David Dick’s last The View From Plum Lick last month following his death in July, we are devoting the back page this month and next to remembrances from readers and fans. Read more tributes to the man and his writing, or post your own here.
IN THE BEGINNING
The best decision I made in 15 years of editing Kentucky Living was inviting David Dick to write the signature column each month. It took the career broadcast journalist only a few months to get the hang of it. Once he stopped writing about sheep and starting writing about Kentucky and its people, his passion and talent filled the page in equal measure. After his family, the thing David valued most was a sense of place. His was the Dick family homestead in Bourbon County, but also the counties beyond Plum Lick, and his graceful prose made the rest of us treasure the place we call Kentucky.
Gary Luhr, Louisville
A DAY OF MERRIMENT
I met David when he came to Hopkinsville to gather material for his book, Let There Be Light. Interestingly, I was putting together a history of Pennyrile Electric Co-op. Eston Glover, the local co-op manager, invited me to sit in on a meeting with David, the county historian, and two retired co-op workers. It was a fascinating morning as historical facts, funny stories, and wonderful memories were traded. I can still see his twinkling blue eyes, dancing with merriment, laughter, interest, and amazement at the stories.
Following the morning session, he asked about places in Todd County he had never seen, such as the Robert Penn Warren Museum in Guthrie, the old courthouse in Elkton, the Jefferson Davis monument at Fairview, and he asked if I had time to give him a tour. Of course I did! He and dear Lalie and I got in the car and took off like full-fledged tourists. Even then he was not feeling well, but he would not stop—just one more thing to see and talk about, with questions, comments, and related stories streaming forth with each turn of the wheels.
The day ended too soon. The three of us had a unique experience and discovered a deep friendship beginning to grow. He was a dear, sweet, generous, fun-loving soul, and my life is richer for having known him and having the privilege of calling him friend.
Evelyn M. Boone, Hopkinsville
TRUE MAN
I mark the passing of a titan. His name was David Dick. He was a man of many accomplishments, but his stories in The View From Plum Lick signify the true man because he never forgot his roots and he never forgot to help the little people. My wife and I were privileged to know David, to encourage him in his long fight against cancer.
Wherever he is, my hope is that there will always be a story for him to write and a needy person for him to help.
Russell A. Vassallo, Liberty
CAPTURING EVERYDAY BEAUTY
If David Dick had been in a broadcast booth covering life in Kentucky, he would have been the color commentator. Dick was a master of artistically portraying the subtleties and nuances of life in rural Kentucky in a way that captured the beauty and grace of our everyday lives.
He also understood, and eloquently portrayed, the bond many Kentuckians have with the land and nature that surround them. That relationship flows through so many aspects of our lives, and yes, even the economy of the Commonwealth, in the form of farming, coal mining, or simply enjoying the beauty of our rural areas and byways.
David Dick also understood the quiet passion that we Kentuckians have for our beloved Commonwealth, and put that understanding to paper as lessons for future generations in the form of his columns and books.
Karen Combs, Jackson Energy Cooperative, McKee
