All of us at the Jackie Robinson Foundation are deeply saddened by the passing on Friday, December 31, 2021, of beloved JRF alumna, Laurie M. Dickey ’90. Laurie’s mastery and love of teaching, passionate advocacy for students, and commitment to community service were evident to all who knew her. She carried herself with an authentic grace and warmth that put everyone she encountered at ease and made her infinitely likable.
After graduating from UCLA with a BA in English, Laurie earned a Master’s in Education from the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in Language, Literacy and Culture. A lifelong educator, her professional experience spanned the public and nonprofit sectors, including bilingual teaching, curriculum and staff development, afterschool programming, No Child Left Behind Supplemental Educational Services, and as a lecturer at California State University, Fullerton, in the Department of Bilingual and Elementary Education and as acting supervisor to Student Teacher Candidates in the Teacher Credentialing Program. Notably, Laurie spent much of her career addressing educational issues on behalf of at-risk youth.
A highly valued member of JRF’s West Region Scholar Advisory Committee for 20 years, Laurie served as the Committee’s co-chair beginning in 2012. She was also a JRF Program faculty member and co-led the inaugural Rachel Robinson International Fellowship trip to Tanzania in 2018.
In the words of Gregg Gonsalves ‘89, JRF chairman and contemporary Scholar of Laurie, “She will be missed; she was pretty incredible.” Gregg’s sentiments are shared far and wide throughout the JRF family.
May she rest in peace knowing how much she was respected, appreciated, and loved.