Dorothy Madeline Flynn Hicks

God saw the way was getting rough;
the path was hard to see. He gently
closed Dot's loving eyes; and whispered,
"Come to me."

Dorothy Madeline Flynn Hicks, 83, of Atlanta, Georgia, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and lover of animals, passed away at her home in King's Bridge Retirement Community on June 9, 2012, following an extended illness. Dot, as she was affectionately called by her family and friends, was the daughter of the late William Christopher Flynn and Madeline Belton Flynn of Longboat Key, Florida. She began life's journey in Camden, New Jersey on January 25, 1929, and grew up in the New Jersey towns of Woodbury and Haddonfield. As a child and young adult, Dorothy was an accomplished equestrienne and participated in hunt seat national competition riding hunter and jumper horses. She was the recipient of many awards and trophies. She attended Temple University and was employed by Radio Corporation of America as an accounting manager with RCA Service Company in Cherry Hill, NJ. She was catcher for the RCA ladies softball team in a N.E Industrial League. On December 17, 1960, Dorothy married James W. Hicks of Jacksonville and Frostproof, Florida. Their first home was in Haddonfield, NJ, and in 1963 they moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where they were blessed with two sons, James Brown Hicks and Stewart Flynn Hicks. Her husband was employed by the Centers for Disease Control and following CDC assignments in Florida, Philadelphia, Raleigh and West Africa, they returned to CDC headquarters in Atlanta and made their home in Stone Mountain, Georgia. After her husband's retirement in 1987, they moved to Longboat Key, Florida but returned to Georgia in 2000 to be closer to their grandchildren. They lived in Augusta for 10 years prior to returning to Atlanta. Dorothy's greatest love was her family, especially her precious granddaughters. She was fond of riding horses, piloting aircraft and boats and working with wildlife – particularly the rescue of troubled or injured shore birds. She was an active member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 82, Longboat Key, Florida and the Sarasota Power Squadron. She taught boating classes in both organizations and participated in safety patrols and search and rescue operations. Dorothy was a dedicated Christian with a servant's heart and a devoted Baptist – active in the life of her church wherever she lived. She was a member of the following churches during her adult life: Haddon Heights Baptist Church, Haddon Heights, NJ; Longview Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC; Trinity Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC; Ikoyi Baptist Chapel, Lagos, Nigeria; Stone Mountain First Baptist, Stone Mountain, GA; Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain, GA; Sarasota First Baptist, Sarasota, FL; First Baptist Church, Augusta, GA; and Briarcliff Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA. Dorothy was a Sunday School teacher and served on many church committees. She was a leading participant in church sponsored Missions and Benevolence programs. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, William C. Flynn and Madeline B. Flynn, of Woodbury, NJ and Longboat Key, FL, and her brother, William Martin Flynn and sister-in-law Charlotte Flynn of Woodbury. New Jersey. She is survived by her loving husband James W. (Jim) Hicks of Atlanta, Georgia and her two sons, James B. Hicks, daughter in law Angela Upchurch Hicks and granddaughter Melanie Paige Hicks of Lawrenceville, Georgia; Stewart Flynn Hicks, daughter in law Joy Jenkins Hicks and granddaughters Brittany Leigh Hicks and Hannah Marie Hicks.of Meansville, Georgia. Also surviving Dorothy is her cousin Robert Spies (Wife Dorothy) of Woodbury, New Jersey, and many loved and treasured nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends of many years. A memorial service will be held in Atlanta, GA at the King's Bridge Retirement Community Pavilion, located at 3055 Briarcliff Road, at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 12, 2012. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Crossroads Hospice Charitable Foundation, 10810 E. 45th Street, Suite 300, Tulsa, OK 74146. A family memorial service and burial at sea will be held in Sarasota, FL at a later time.


Funeral Home:
A. S. Turner & Sons
2773 North Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033