George Dickinson III

George Nelson Dickinson III, 71, passed away, surrounded by family and friends, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013. Born on Feb. 26, 1942, in Roanoke, Va., George grew up in Lookout Mountain, Ga. He graduated from City High School, where he played No. 1 on the tennis team and was a member of the 1961 state championship wrestling team. George attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and graduated from the University of Chattanooga (UC) in 1967 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration. A walk-on tennis player at Georgia Tech, he was soon awarded a full athletic scholarship in tennis by then Athletic Director Bobby Dodd. While at UC, George became the 1966 NCAA individual small college national singles champion. He was UC's first individual national champion in any sport and also won the college state singles crown that year. A three-time Chattanooga Men's City champion in 1963, 1965 and 1966, George also won the Atlanta City and Crackerland Open singles tournaments. In 1963 he was the Georgia State Collegiate winner. He was a member of the Greater Chattanooga Hall of Fame, the UTC Hall of Fame and the Lookout Mountain Hall of Fame. Throughout his life, George remained very close to his fellow members of Georgia Tech's then nationally ranked tennis team - Wally Johnson, Jerry Kirk and Bill Mallory. George was a career commercial real estate executive. He began his career in 1969 with Fickling & Walker and then with Bank of America Commercial Mortgage. In 1978 he joined Chattanooga-based Fletcher Bright Company in the Atlanta office, where he became a partner and helped established a nationwide commercial mortgage banking operation with long-standing relationships. A member of Atlanta's Capital City Club since 1979, George was club tennis champion in 1980, 1984 and 1988, and served on the Governing Board from 2008 - 2011. An avid traveler and Francophile, George loved spending time in Paris and the South of France with his wife Sanford. He was preceded in death by his parents, George Nelson Dickinson, Jr., and Sarah Myers Dickinson of Lookout Mountain, Tenn. He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Sanford Brown Dickinson; daughters, Kimberly Dickinson French, of Tampa, Fla., and Mary Dickinson Trammell,, of Atlanta; sons-in-law Stephen Bradley French and Mark Scott Trammell; grandchildren, Virginia Bradley French, 13, Emerson Carter French, 10, and Rosemarie Sanford Trammell, 1; and brother Thomas Carter Dickinson of Lookout Mountain, Tenn. George fought a valiant battle against ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease. Affectionately called "Mighty Mouse" by the Tuesday night tennis gang, he was loved by many and will be sorely missed but not forgotten by all of his family and friends, including his loving caregivers Nate and Royal. A funeral service will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church on Monday, Dec.16, 2013, at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alexander-Tharpe Fund in support of the Georgia Tech Tennis Program at 150 Bobby Dodd Way, Atlanta, GA 30332, or the ALS Association Georgia Chapter, 1955 Cliff Valley Way, Ste. 116, Atlanta, GA 30329. Arrangements are by Sandy Springs Chapel. 136 Mt. Vernon Highway NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328.