Richard Palmer Dickey, 87 years old, of Slidell, Louisiana, left this world on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. He was born on Sunday, February 10, 1935 in the family farmhouse in Henry County, Ohio, near the town of Napoleon. He became the only child of Moses C. Dickey and Sarah Palmer Dickey upon the tragic death of his two year old sister, Beleta. After graduating from Napoleon High School, he attended Ohio State University where he met the love of his life, Wilhelmina "Wilma". They married in 1957 and had four children: Jeffrey James; Lorelei Beleta, Suzanne Sarah, and David Paul. Richard and Wilma maintained a life-long love for Ohio State as steadfast Buckeyes fans.

As a man with a deep faith, Richard felt the need to make the world a better place. In medical school he decided to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology. After attending one of the first training programs in the United States in reproductive endocrinology, he earned his Ph.D. for his study of the neurohormones of reproduction. He served in academic medicine as the Director of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology at The Ohio State University School of Medicine and in 1972 he moved to New Orleans to pursue an opportunity at the Louisiana State University Medical School. He would go on to found the Fertility Institute of New Orleans in 1976 and would achieve the first successful in vitro fertilization in the Gulf South States in 1983 and introduced many innovations in infertility treatment. Not only has he helped thousands of couples become parents and start families, but in 2014, he received the distinguished Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. This award honors physicians who best demonstrate the ideals of compassionate and respectful care of a patient's physical and emotional wellbeing. He also had more than 120 peer-reviewed published articles in US and International medical journals. He was very proud of his work with USAID in the Philippines, Pakistan, and Jamaica early in his career. In addition to his incredible service as a doctor he also served as a Captain in the US Army.

While he had enormous success as a doctor, author and professor, his greatest joy was his family. He was an amazing father and grandfather who believed that every one of his children and grandchildren were capable of great things. He supported them on their journeys to accomplish their dreams and celebrated their accomplishments. He loved visiting with his children and grandchildren, traveling with Wilma (usually on a cruise), watching Jeopardy (usually knowing all the answers), and reading western novels (usually sunning by the pool).

Richard is survived by his wife, Wilma, his four children, Jeff, Lorelei, Suzanne and David and their spouses, eight grandchildren and their spouses, Katie, James, Corwin, Camille, Moss, Marcus, Riley and Winsome and great-granddaughter, Stella. We have all been blessed by his presence. We love him forever and hold him dear in our hearts. The family will hold a private burial on Monday the 9 ^th of January at the Southeast Louisiana Veteran's cemetery in Slidell.

In lieu of flowers the family hopes you will consider donating to the LSU School of Medicine to the Richard Palmer and Wilhelmina Kuehn Dickey Chair in Human Embryonic Development. Checks may be made payable to the LSU Health Foundation and mailed to 2000 Tulane Ave 4th Fl, New Orleans, LA 70112.