Jeffrey William Dykes

On Tuesday evening, January 10th, Jeffrey William Dykes (Jeff) aged 80 left behind his body, along with his battle with Alzheimer's disease. And though he fought mightily, and in true Jeff fashion, stubborn to the end, his final moments were pure peace and infinite love as he passed in the arms of his beloved wife and devoted daughters.

Jeff was born on May 1, 1942 in Columbus, Georgia, the first child and only son to James and Frances Dykes. He loved Columbus in no small part due to summers spent with his grandparents that involved bare feet, fishing holes and what he described as the finest southern food ever cooked. He moved from Columbus to Milwaukee, Wisconsin as his father’s career expanded with Schlitz Beer and it was there that he grew from being a young boy to a young man with a knack for breaking the rules and orchestrating pranks that may or may not have landed him a bit of trouble from time to time, although never with malicious intent. In fact, it’s safe to say that the man didn’t have a malicious bone in his body. He was kind and integrous and while filled with strong opinions, he was always open and understanding.

Jeff attended Georgia Tech University and ultimately graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois which is where he met the love of his life, Bonita Jean Bucilli. It was easy for her to pick him out, as he was the only one on a campus with freezing temperatures and snowy weather to be walking around in shorts and sandals - which is an incredibly ironic reality given his deep contempt for even the slightest chill the older that he got. Bonnie and Jeff ultimately married and began their life together. They were married for 57 years.

Jeff and Bonnie had 3 daughters - Tracy and Allison were born during their years in Minnesota and Julianne was born in Atlanta. Atlanta is where he started his company, Photo Chemical Systems, which ultimately expanded throughout the southeastern United States. He was an exceptional leader and known for his management style and his ability to make tough decisions while simultaneously cultivating an incredibly loyal team. Indeed the majority of people he employed stayed with him for the duration of their careers. And while Jeff was proud of his company and of his career, his greatest pride and most meaningful accomplishment was the creation, development and care of his family. In his quiet and confident manner he and his wife built a family uniquely devoted to one another. Bonnie was his partner in every sense of the word, working with him in his business and nurturing the family. He once stated she was the finest woman there ever was.

His family was rounded out by Tracy’s husband Andrew and their two children Anna and Jacob, Allison’s wife Jill and their two children Elsie and Winn, and Julianne’s wife Erika and their daughter Lola. Indeed he was outnumbered by the women in his life and they pushed and challenged him consistently throughout the years - and at each and every occasion he rose to those challenges - bending and changing his own perspectives and world-views in order to accommodate and support his family.

After Jeff retired he committed much of his time to SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground. And in 2020 he was honored by the organization with the Distinguished Service Award and being the all-time Atlanta chapter leader in starting and mentoring new businesses. He was also deeply involved with Malachi’s Storehouse, a non-profit food pantry in Dunwoody, Georgia where everyone is welcomed, everyone is valued and everyone is fed.

Though he had various interests, three that stood out were his love for fishing (even while sadly finding limited success in this area) his passion for both Georgia Tech and Greenbay Packers football (though admittedly at times a fair weather fan - known to change the channel if his team was heading towards defeat) and his ability to make a pot of spaghetti sauce and meatballs, Bonnie’s Italian family recipe, that remains unrivaled to all those lucky enough to have experienced it.

Jeff is survived by his wife, three daughters, one son-in-law, two daughters-in-law, four granddaughters and one grandson - all of whom are forever impacted by his commitment to family and doing the right thing. He is also survived by his sisters Donna Nelson and Jan Dykes and their families. He will be immensely missed, loved and remembered.

While he himself would never have asked or expected any sort of special acknowledgement, if you’re interested in a few ways to honor his life, you might consider the following:

Donating to Malachi’s Storehouse

Giving to the Alzheimer’s Association of Georgia

Holding your family tight

Rooting for the Packers and next year’s quest for the Superbowl

Sitting down with those you love for a plate of spaghetti and a glass of red wine

A service to celebrate Jeff’s life will be held at Saint Patrick’s Episcopal church in Dunwoody, Georgia on Saturday, January 21 at 10:00am.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.floralhillsfuneral.com for the Dykes family.