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Dickinson Going Strong Even in retirement, former senior legislator isn't living a life of leisure Date published: 12/28/2004 By CHELYEN DAVIS Supposedly, V. Earl Dickinson retired a few years ago. Sure, he stepped down from the Virginia House of Delegates seat he'd held for years. But if the word "retirement" conjures up images of rest and relaxation and puttering around a garden, Dickinson is anything but retired. At 80 years old, he's still going strong. He still runs a cattle farm in Spotsylvania County, still lives with his wife of more than 50 years in a house they built ages ago in Mineral. He spends a lot of time visiting children and his nine grandchildren, and is trying to put together a list of his various real-estate holdings for them. He goes to football games--what's the good of being chairman of the House Appropriations Committee for years if you can't still get box seats to a University of Virginia football game every now and then? As of a few days ago, he hadn't decided yet whether to attend the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 3. Dickinson is co-chairman of the Louisa County Democratic Party, a distinction he shares with his former legislative aide. He's been named chairman emeritus of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. He's an active deacon in Mineral Baptist Church, and participates in the Lions Club. And he serves on the board of directors of the Mineral Historical Association, helping the town of Mineral earn state recognition for its historic significance. Clearly, retirement hasn't slowed Dickinson down. Neither have health problems; over the past year, Dickinson has battled heart trouble and cancer, for which he's still undergoing treatment. "I'm feeling fine. I have had no side effects, and I've been feeling wonderful, so I'm hoping that's half of it," Dickinson said in a recent interview. "I'm staying real active, and just hope I can keep going. I keep the same old pace, but I go to the doctor too daggone much." Dickinson retired in 2002, after 30 years in county and state government. Before he left the legislature, he led the House Appropriations Committee, a powerful post that helped him secure funding for numerous projects in his district and the Fredericksburg area.
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