Obituary for James Dixon Earley
J. Dixon Earley, PE, the retired Chief Engineer for the Department of Environmental Resources, lost his battle with cancer on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. Mr. Earley was born in the Harrisburg Hospital on October 25, 1941. He was the only offspring of Elma Lehr and James Herbert Earley. He was educated in the Camp Hill school system and received a BS in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University in June 1963. While at Lehigh he became a brother of Delta Chi Fraternity, was a member of the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, kept basketball statistics for the Alumni Association, and was a 4 year football manager becoming the Head Football Manager in 1962.
Mr. Earley is survived by 2 daughters, Susan (James Patrick) McDonald, Amy (Scott) Morton, and 3 grandchildren, Meagan (James) Griffith, Sean McDonald and Evan Morton, and a great granddaughter Madisyn.
Mr. Earley began his professional career in 1963 with the then Pennsylvania Department of Highways as an intern and then a bridge designer, a structural control engineer, a principal assistant construction engineer, and District 8-0 Bridge Engineer. In 1980 the Department of Environmental Resources hired Mr. Earley as Director of its Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Chief Engineer for Resources Management, and then as Chief Engineer of the department.
Mr. Earley believed in paying his professional and community dues. He was a life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers serving as secretary of its National Specifications Committee. He was also a life member of the American Society of Highway Engineers serving on its board and as president of the Harrisburg Section. In 1982 he was elected National President of the American Society of Highway Engineers. He was also a member of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers and the Association of Dam Safety Officials. In the Community he served on the committee of Boy Scout Troop 52 at the Camp Hill Presbyterian Church and as a member of that church. He was an assistant little league baseball coach in Camp Hill for 9 years. He coached his daughter’s softball team and was a member of the swimming, softball and diving parents’ organizations serving his term as president. He was treasurer and “resident engineer” of his homeowners’ organization in Haines City, Florida, where he spent the winter months. He also served on the Fairview Township Committee and served a term as president of the Greater Harrisburg Area Football Officials.
Dixon was a proud supporter of Lehigh University and Lehigh sports. He enjoyed watching both his daughters (Susan - diving and Amy - field hockey) compete for Lehigh. Dixon was extremely proud of the fact that he had seen 58 Lehigh/Lafayette football games and 56 EIWA wrestling tournaments. At his 20th reunion in 1983 the Lehigh University Alumni Association awarded him its Outstanding Alumni award. He served on all his alumni reunion committees and was his Class Correspondent at the time of his passing.
He was an avid golfer and an Honorary Member of the West Shore Country Club having served on committees, the Board of Governors, as President and Secretary for many years. He was also a member of Grenelefe Golf and Tennis Resort in Haines City, Florida, his winter home.
Funeral Services will be private and held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy the family asks that donations be made to the Scholarship Endowment Fund of the West Shore Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, 616 Mooreland Avenue, Carlisle, PA 17013 or the Andrew Larko ’63 Scholarship Fund at Lehigh University.
Mr. Earley is survived by 2 daughters, Susan (James Patrick) McDonald, Amy (Scott) Morton, and 3 grandchildren, Meagan (James) Griffith, Sean McDonald and Evan Morton, and a great granddaughter Madisyn.
Mr. Earley began his professional career in 1963 with the then Pennsylvania Department of Highways as an intern and then a bridge designer, a structural control engineer, a principal assistant construction engineer, and District 8-0 Bridge Engineer. In 1980 the Department of Environmental Resources hired Mr. Earley as Director of its Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Chief Engineer for Resources Management, and then as Chief Engineer of the department.
Mr. Earley believed in paying his professional and community dues. He was a life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers serving as secretary of its National Specifications Committee. He was also a life member of the American Society of Highway Engineers serving on its board and as president of the Harrisburg Section. In 1982 he was elected National President of the American Society of Highway Engineers. He was also a member of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers and the Association of Dam Safety Officials. In the Community he served on the committee of Boy Scout Troop 52 at the Camp Hill Presbyterian Church and as a member of that church. He was an assistant little league baseball coach in Camp Hill for 9 years. He coached his daughter’s softball team and was a member of the swimming, softball and diving parents’ organizations serving his term as president. He was treasurer and “resident engineer” of his homeowners’ organization in Haines City, Florida, where he spent the winter months. He also served on the Fairview Township Committee and served a term as president of the Greater Harrisburg Area Football Officials.
Dixon was a proud supporter of Lehigh University and Lehigh sports. He enjoyed watching both his daughters (Susan - diving and Amy - field hockey) compete for Lehigh. Dixon was extremely proud of the fact that he had seen 58 Lehigh/Lafayette football games and 56 EIWA wrestling tournaments. At his 20th reunion in 1983 the Lehigh University Alumni Association awarded him its Outstanding Alumni award. He served on all his alumni reunion committees and was his Class Correspondent at the time of his passing.
He was an avid golfer and an Honorary Member of the West Shore Country Club having served on committees, the Board of Governors, as President and Secretary for many years. He was also a member of Grenelefe Golf and Tennis Resort in Haines City, Florida, his winter home.
Funeral Services will be private and held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy the family asks that donations be made to the Scholarship Endowment Fund of the West Shore Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, 616 Mooreland Avenue, Carlisle, PA 17013 or the Andrew Larko ’63 Scholarship Fund at Lehigh University.