Harold "Neil" Dickey , 79, of McCarley, MS, died Friday, April 16, 2021 at his residence. Visitation will be 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 22, 2021 at Wilson & Knight Funeral Home.

Mr. Dickey was born April 16, 1942 in Memphis, TN, to Grady Dickey and Nell Worsham Hart Dickey. He was of the Baptist faith. Neil had worked for 50 years in the Aviation Business performing Aircraft Maintenance and as a Pilot and he had been involved in aviation all of his working life. As a teenager he began learning aviation, both flying and working on airplanes from his stepdad who was an aviation mechanic. He started working at airports and soon found employment working on airplanes while advancing his pilot skills.

After a tour of duty in the US Air Force he returned to his home area near Memphis where he in aircraft maintenance operations at the Memphis Airport. Later he relocated to West Memphis where he became involved in agricultural flying and employment as a corporate pilot.

Neil moved to Clarksdale, MS, in the 1986 where he started a business primarily maintaining turbine powered corporate aircraft. In 1988 he was 'found' by Greenwood pilots and enticed to relocate to Greenwood.

Neil found the assistance of customer and aircraft owner, Ellett Lawrence who aided his fledgling business by helping him finance the construction of a new hangar suitable for his operation.

In 2006 Neil became the Aviation Maintenance Director for Viking Range Corp. of Greenwood and managed the maintenance for the company's corporate jets until 2013. Subsequently he has managed maintenance of several corporate operators until failing health forced his retirement in late 2020.

Neil was a knowledgeable, incredibly talented mechanic and a gifted craftsman. He maintained a wide variety of airplanes from the very smallest to medium corporate jets. He built several home built "experimental" airplanes where his skills were readily visible to observers. Neil was always ready to provide advice and assistance to airplane people, and he will be missed by his associates and friends in the aviation community and by those who relied on his knowledge to help maintain their airplanes or to just discuss airplanes and flying them. He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife, Debrah Dickey of McCarley, MS; children, Andrea Chapple and husband Donnie of Marion, AR, Keith Dickey and wife Angie of Marion, AR, Kelly Stock and husband Tim of St. Louis, MO, Craig Henry and wife Shan of Greenwood, MS, and Dawn Henry and husband Bo of Madison, MS; sister, Clare Fountain and husband Robert of Covington, TN; two half-brothers; 17 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews.

Wilson & Knight Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.