Obituaries : Dr. Vernon Arthur Brickley

Dr. Vernon Arthur Brickley, 80, of Dixon, died Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, surrounded by family.

He was born Feb. 13, 1935, in Vinton, Iowa, to Grant and Gladys (Bender) Brickley. He was a 1953 graduate of Lincoln High School in Vinton, and a 1960 graduate of Iowa State University, where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. In 1962, he received his Doctor of Optometry degree from Illinois College of Optometry, and was president of his class.     

Vern was married to Priscilla Grigg on Aug. 5, 1961, at Trinity Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They were blessed with two children, Lisa and Grant. He began practicing optometry in Dixon with Dr. Lamar Wells. He was affiliated with the Illinois Optometric Association, the American Optometric Association, and served as president of the Northern Illinois Optometric Association. He retired in 2006 after 44 years of practice in the Dixon area.

A long-standing member of First Presbyterian Church in Dixon, he served a number of terms as elder. He was noted for his love of vocal music, and sang tenor in the church choir for more than 50 years. He was a member of, and sang solos in, the Sauk Valley Chorus. He was a member of Rockford Mendelssohn Chorale, and enjoyed singing in the Messiah each Christmas season with the Rockford Choral Union. He was a charter member of Dixon Evening Lions, and served on the Kreider Services Board of Directors, recently retiring after years of serving as vice president.

Family gatherings were an important part of his life, and countless hours of laughter and talk were spent around the dining room table. He was a second-generation, diehard Chicago Cubs fan, and every year hoped this was "the year." "Maybe this year?" He had a sincere interest in people and truly enjoyed getting to know them. Anyone who knew him heard him say "okey-dokel."

Survivors include his wife, Priscilla; daughter, Lisa (Loren) Wolf of Dixon; son, Grant of Antioch; granddaughters, Alexandra and Madeline Fink of Dixon, and Kalrissa (Matthew) Taylor of Genoa; stepgrandchildren, Aaron (Jillian) Wolf and Jeremy (Mallory) Wolf, both of Dixon; and great-grandchildren, Addison and Mason Wolf. Also surviving are his brother, Alvin Brickley of Hendersonville, North Carolina; sister, Ruth (Roger) Grove of Sheldahl, Iowa; two sisters-in-law, Marilyn Brickley of Phoenix, and Margitta Grigg of Antioch; and 12 nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Donald; sister-in-law, Lucia Brickley; and brother-in-law, John Grigg.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 12 at Jones Funeral Home in Dixon. A celebration of life service will be at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at First Presbyterian Church in Dixon, with David Spaulding, pastor, officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established to First Presbyterian Church and Kreider Services, both in Dixon.

Visit thejonesfh.com to send condolences.