Obituary of Alfred Dilks

ALFRED "STUMPIE" DILKS OF NEWFIELD PASSED AWAY AT AGE 73, ON 25 OCT. 2023 AFTER A COURAGEOUS BATTLE WITH CANCER, ALFRED HE WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS PARENTS ALFRED AND JOSEPHINE; NIECE D'ANN BRUECKHEIMER AND BROTHER EDDIE. ALFRED IS SURVIVED BY HIS BELOVED WIFE OF 50 YEARS, RIEKO FROM JAPAN, AND SONS DAVID AND JAMES. IN ADDITION HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS SISTERS SANDRA DILKS OF NEWFIELD, JOAN BRUECKHEIMER FROM WOODBURY, BROTHERS SAMUEL OF VINELAND, CHESTER, MICHAEL OF NEWFIELD, TERRENCE OF CHURCHILL TN, ROY (MERCEDES) OF CORPUS CHRISTI TX, TIMOTHY (LINDA) OF GLASSBORO NJ. STUMPIE GRADUATED FROM VHS '69, AND SOON JOINED THE U.S. NAVY, SERVING FOUR YEARS IN THE VIETNAM WAR. HE EVENTUALLY JOINED THE AIR FORCE RESERVES AND SERVED FOR 25 YEARS BEFORE RETIRING AS A STAFF SERGEANT. HE ENJOYED THE REUNIONS WITH HIS NAVY BUDDIES WHEN HE WAS ABLE TO ATTEND. WHILE IN THE SERVICE HE DEVELOPED HIS PASSION AND LOVE FOR AVIATION, EVENTUALLY OBTAINING HIS PILOTS LICENSE AND FURTHER BECAME A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. FOR A WHILE HE OWNED AND OPERATED AL'S FLYING SERVICE. HE ENJOYED FLYING, AND HAD FLOWN A MEMBER OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT IN THE PACIFIC. HE WORKED FOR LOCKHEED MARTIN AIRCRAFT AND JAL. HE LOVED TRAVELING WITH HIS FAMILY, AFTER MOVING TO THE ISLAND OF GUAM IN THE PACIFIC. HE LIVED ON THE ISLAND FOR OVER 40 YEARS, AND TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY THROUGHOUT ASIA, AND MADE A TRIP TO EUROPE. HE LEARNED TO SPEAK JAPANESE, WHICH WAS A GREAT ASSET TRAVELING THROUGH JAPAN NUMEROUS TIMES. HIS OTHER GREAT PASSION WAS RIDING AND WORKING ON HIS HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE. A FUNERAL HOME VISITATION WILL TAKE PLACE ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 , 2023 FROM 12PM TO 2PM FOLLOWED BY A FUNERAL SERVICE BEGINNING AT 2PM, AT RONE FUNERAL SERVICE, 1110 EAST CHESTNUT AVENUE, VINELAND. BURIAL WILL BE PRIVATE. ARRANGEMENTS ARE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF RONE FUNERAL SERVICE DONATIONS IN LIEU OF FLOWERS MAY BE MADE TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY. TO SEND ONLINE CONDOLENCES PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.RONEFUNERALSERVICE.COM