Dickie Ray Widener

July 13, 1944 - December 27, 2025

Dickie Ray Widener, 81 of Princeton, West Virginia, passed away on December 27, 2025, at Princeton Community Hospital.

He was born on July 13, 1944, at Grace Hospital in Welch, West Virginia, the youngest of four children born to Clarence Emory Widener and Opal Ann Mullins Widener.  Dickie spent his childhood living in an apartment in downtown Welch during a period when the city was thriving in the midst of the coal boom and was fondly remembered as "Little New York."

His boyhood was filled with lifelong friendships and simple pleasures.  Dickie and his friends spent afternoons at the Pocahontas Theater, bought candy at G.C. Murphy"s, danced at countless Record Hops, and grew up together through elementary school, junior high, and Welch High School.  Those friendships endured well into adulthood, often marked by beach trips and shared memories that never faded.  Dickie, Sandy Bright, Alan Jenkins, Kelly Cartwright, Russell Rice, Steve Bland, Robert "Moose" McConnel, Ancil Sparks, L Oblinger, and Tommy Greene were inseparable, including during their collective visits to the principal's office.

A proud 1962 graduate of Welch High School, Dickie often said he grew up in the very best of times and that he would not trade his youth in Welch for anything.  The memories of those years stayed with him for the rest of his life.

Known for his love of music and dancing, heads would turn when Dickie took the floor.  It was said that he could clear the dance floor when he and his chosen partner took their place, moments remembered as pure joy and confidence in motion.

After graduating from high school at just 17 years old, Dickie moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the Federal Housing Administration.  His brother Bobby drove him there and dropped him off at a boarding house, a defining moment that marked both Dickie's independence and the beginning of a lifetime of stories.

In 1963, Dickie returned home to Welch and worked locally at Sam Solin's and later Mort's Clothing Store.  In 1965, he enlisted in the United States Army and served in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967. During his service, Dickie was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service in Vietnam.  Like many of his generation, he rarely spoke about those years, but they shaped him in lasting ways.

After returning stateside, Dickie worked for the Department of the Army in the Safeguard System Office in Washington, D.C., until receiving an honorable discharge.  Eventually, the pull of home proved stronger than the pull of the capital, and Dickie returned to West Virginia and enrolled at Bluefield State College.

It was there that he met Sue Ellen Alford.  She witnessed his dancing skills early on and fell head over heels. The two were married in October 1970 and welcomed their daughter, Amy Rae, in 1971.

After a brief time in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where Dickie worked as comptroller as a civilian employee for the United States Navy at the Norfolk Naval Air Station, he and Sue realized that no place ever truly compared to West Virginia. They returned home, and Dickie began what would become a long and respected career with the West Virginia Tax Department, followed by the West Virginia State Treasurer's Office.

For 25 years, Dickie worked as an auditor, traveling throughout southern West Virginia auditing Magistrate Clerks' offices.  What he loved most was not the numbers. It was the people.  He genuinely enjoyed getting to know the employees in each county, and many of those relationships became lasting friendships that continued well after his retirement in 2000.

Dickie's deep nostalgia for his hometown of Welch, West Virginia, was his compass.  He believed he had the quintessential childhood, full of friends, fun, and just enough mischief to keep things interesting.  Whenever he reunited with those lifelong friends, it felt as though no time had passed.  Stories flowed, music from their younger days blared in the background, and of course, there was dancing.  Whether it was the jitterbug from high school days or their later love of the Shag learned at Fat Harold's in North Myrtle Beach, Dickie never missed a chance to take the floor.  The wives of Dickie's friends became an essential part of this larger circle.  Sue, Elinor, Jane, Pat, Betty, Judy, Linda, and Debbie loved being part of the group, and together they shared decades of life, births of children, moves, job changes, weddings, reunions, and countless beach trips, proving that some friendships truly do last a lifetime.

Dickie always said he bled blue and gold because of his love for WVU football and basketball.  He was beyond proud when both his daughter and granddaughter graduated from West Virginia University.  Our grandson attends Marshall University, and Dickie made peace with that.  He'd even switch out his impressive collection of WVU shirts with a Thundering Herd tee once in a while. When we took Amy for WVU orientation in 1989, we walked around the coliseum where basketball games are played.  We found Dickie with his hands and nose pressed against a window mesmerized by Jerry West's basketball jersey. We swear he had tears in his eyes, but he said no. Elinor Bright was truly Dickie's kindred spirit when it came to love of WVU sports.  Before EVERY game, Elinor would text Dickie with "LET'S GO ..." and Dickie would reply "MOUNTAINEERS!" He waited for it on game days. And, it continued to the end.

Dickie's love for his family was second to none.  His daughter always knew he was firmly in her corner, no matter what, and the same steadfast loyalty extended to his son-in-law, Shane Harrison, and to his grandchildren, Abby Raellen Dilley (Dustin) and Noah Ward Harrison, whom he loved beyond measure.  He was happiest when the family was all together around the table, enjoying a good meal. He especially loved grilling steaks, buying king crab legs for Shane to cook, and making his signature bleu cheese dressing, taking quiet satisfaction in watching everyone eat until they were happily stuffed.  His family is deeply grateful that they celebrated Christmas early this year, giving him one last cherished time surrounded by those he loved most.

Dickie was preceded in death by his father, Clarence Emory Widener; his mother, Opal Ann Widener; his sister, Barbara Widener; his brother, Bobby Widener; his father-in-law, Jarrell C. Alford; his mother-in-law, Juanita Myers Alford; and his brothers-in-law, Keith Yates and Joe Widener.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 55 years, Sue Ellen Alford Widener; his daughter, Amy Rae Widener Harrison, and son-in-law, Shane Harrison; his grandchildren, Abby Raellen Dilley (Dustin) and Noah Ward Harrison; his sister, Joann Widener Yates; his sister-in-law, Polly Nogosky Widener; his nieces, Angela Cowger (Mark), Diana Mosley (Jeff ) and Gail Orndorff; and the most special of friends and neighbors, Elinor Bright, Alan Jenkins, Doug and Billie Wood, Ted and Sharon Spadaro, Tommy and Linda Green, Rhonda Goode, Jeff and Brenda Harshbarger, and Diane Petrunger.  The family appreciates the calls, cards, visits, and delicious food they provided over Dickie's extended illness.

The family wants to extend a heartfelt thank you to Charlie Mathena of Memorial Funeral Directory, a fellow Welch High School Maroon Wave, for his kindness, professionalism and guidance during this difficult time.

In accordance with his wishes, Dickie will be cremated. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Roselawn Memorial Gardens at 450 Courthouse Road, Princeton, WV 24740. Family and friends will meet at the mausoleum at the cemetery at noon on the 16th for an opportunity to share their memories about Dickie and for a 21-gun-salute to honor his veteran status. Afterward, everyone is invited to Dickie and Sue's home for a continuation of a celebration of Dickie's life and comradery with family and mutual friends.

Online condolences may be shared with the family via www.memorialfd.com.

The Widener family is being served by the Memorial Funeral Directory and Cremation Center on the Athens Road in Princeton.