Earnest Warren “Rhino” Dyke Sr departed this life on December 22, 2019, at the age of 79, after a long illness.

Warren is survived by his wife, of 57 years, Jeanette Crafford Dyke; sons, Earnest Warren, “Earnie”, Dyke Jr and wife, Carol and Richard Eric Dyke; daughters, Bonnie Leigh Rickard and husband, Curtis and Ronnie Lynn Serrett. Six grandchildren: Rachel Dyke, Aaron Dyke, Logan Serrett and Nick Serrett, Jason Goins and wife, Karen, Lydia Jenner and husband, Steve and four great-grandchildren: Jacob, Eric, Gregory and Aubrey. A sister: Louise Copland Elkins and a brother, Lenoard Mason Dyke.

He was preceded in death by his father, William Clarence Dyke Sr, mother, Dorothy Richardson Dyke and a brother, William Clarence, “Jr”, Dyke Jr.

Born in the family home in Ino, VA in 1940, Warren moved with his family to Denbigh, VA at the age of one. He spent his youth there working on his dad’s chicken/egg farm. In his early 20’s he  married Jeanette Crafford and they moved to Williamsburg where he and Jeanette resided until his passing.

The first half of his career was spent as a local carpenter. A number of buildings and homes in the Williamsburg area are a result of his handiwork. The last 20 years of his career where spent at the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station as a blocker and bracer.

Warren had two passions beyond his family: in the Spring and Summer, gardening and in the Fall and Winter hunting with his beloved Ino Hunt Club. He along with Jeanette and the four children maintained a garden large enough to feed all six. Often in the summer Sunday dinners were composed of nothing but vegetables from the garden. Hunting provided “meat” for the table. deer, turkey and duck were the favorites but goose, quail and rabbit were often on the menu as well.

He was a good man who took good care of his wife and family and he will be missed.

A Celebration of Life service will be held for Warren on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at 2:00 pm at the New Town United Methodist Church in Williamsburg (5209 Monticello Avenue, Williamsburg, VA 23188).

The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to the Hospice House of Williamsburg (https://williamsburghospice.org) or click on the button at the top of the page.

Cremation Society of Virginia-Newport News assisted the family with arrangements.