Willie Daniel Dykes went home to be with the Lord on October 26, 2017 after suffering a brief illness. He transitioned peacefully. Willie was born May 18, 1940 in El Dorado, Arkansas to Willie Alex Dykes and Minnie Lee Williams. Both parents, grandparents, four sisters and a daughter preceded him in death.

Willie accepted the Lord and Savior at an early age and later became a member of Friendship Baptist Church, where he remained for over thirty years.

His early years of formal learning experience were in El Dorado, Arkansas. He graduated from Washington High School, Class of 1959. He was a Veteran who served a total six years in the United States Army. He later continued his education and earned a B.S. degree in mathematics from University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (AM&N) in 1969. After graduation in that same year he was employed as a production planner for Bendix Corp. Willie also taught mathematics in the Kansas City School District for five years. In 1977, he was employed by General Motors as a production worker, subsequently as a reliability engineer retiring in 2001 after twenty-four years of service.

Willie belonged to several organizations that were each near and dear to his heart: National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS), Kansas City Chapter 41, Mid America Cobra Club, Corvette Connected Club, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Alumni Chapter and the GM Fairfax Reliability Breakfast Club.

Willie was a very caring and compassionate man who never met a stranger. He would help anybody with anything, and always had plenty of tools and supplies to come to your aid. Willie was affectionately called, "Mr. Willie" or "Mr. D" by his neighbors. If you needed something, you could count on him to not only have it but help you through it!

Willie had a passion for photography he was GOOD at it! If you didn't want your picture taken, you could forget it. He would find a way to smooth talk you into it. He also enjoyed participating in parades where he'd be seen waving and driving his pride and joy, his 1966 Cobra. His car served as mascot for Founder/Drill Master Willie Arthur Smith of the Marching Cobras and for Schlagle High School Marching Band under the direction of Reginald May who affectionately called him "Pops".

Memories of Willie will forever remain in the hearts of his loving and devoted wife, Maureen; children, Debra Dykes-Plummer, Ramona Swygart (Willis), Daniel Dykes and Sonya DeWalt; sisters, Flossie Mae Freeman and Ernestine Dykes; grandchildren, Danielle, Chris, Marcus, Jonathan, Alfonzo, Nickkole, Brandon, Daniel, Allison and Seth; twenty-three great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. His extended family includes: daughters, Kandace Grant (Steven) and Janeen Hutchinson (Maurice); father-in-law, Cecil Harden; sister-in-law, Brenda Chavers (Billy); infinity friends, Don Andrews (Crecia) and Willie Hampton; his spiritual uplifter, Aumariece Sherman. He also leaves a host of nephews, nieces, cousins as well as a number of special friends who also have loved and adored him.