John Payne Dyson

John P. Dyson, 79, passed away 23 February 2019 at Meadowood, Bloomington, Indiana. Born 13 April 1939, Batesville, Mississippi to Payne Dyson and Louise (Allen) Dyson. Survivors include Sister, Virginia Meeker of Mission, Kansas, Brother, Stuart and Lil Dyson of Olive Hill, Kentucky, former wives Janet (Powell) Dillman of Bloomington, Indiana, Anita Rozlapa, Bloomington, Indiana, Son, Terence Dyson and Jeannie Waite of Fort Davis, Texas, Daughter, Jennifer and David Croft of Bloomington, Son, Christopher and Amy Dyson of Sidney, Nebraska. 8 Granddaughters, 4 Great Granddaughters, 4 Nephews. John received his B. A. at Kansas State University and an M. A. and Ph. D, from the University of Kansas. He taught language and literature in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University in Bloomington for 38 years. He established the undergrad and graduate Portuguese programs there. In the decade before his retirement from IU, spurred by childhood summers spent in Mississippi, John developed a research interest in Chickasaw language and in that nation’s ethnohistory prior to its removal from Mississippi to Indian Territory in the 1830s. His publications and conference presentations in those and related fields drew the notice of officials of the Chickasaw Nation’s Division of History and Culture. In 2006 John was accorded the tribe’s Heritage Preservation Award, and in 2007 he was invited to join the Department of Chickasaw Language as a participant in its Language Revitalization Program. John prepared instructional materials and taught adult education courses on Chickasaw grammar for the next six years in Ada, Oklahoma. While there, he and his Chickasaw partner in crime, dear friend, Jerry Imotichey, also conducted classes in the Native American Studies Program at East Central University. In 2013, John returned to Indiana still under contract with the Chickasaw Nation. He contributed two articles a year to The Journal of Chickasaw History and Culture, writing a definitive book, The Early Chickasaw Homeland: Origins, Boundaries and Society and continued to write for the Chickasaw Press. Father, grandfather, dedicated friend, mentor, farmer, BBQ restaurant owner, published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Publisher/Editor of The American Hispanist, what didn’t he do? His intellect, energy and drive will be missed. Most importantly John was humble and demonstrated to friends and family redemption and repentance by living it. A celebration of life will be held at 2:00pm Saturday, March 16, 2019 at the Federal Room at the IU Memorial Union. A private family burial will be held in Paducah, Kentucky. Cremation Rites have been accorded. In lieu of flowers the family request that memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donors choice. You are invited to share a memory or leave an online condolence to the family at www.allencares.com.

Tributes

John Payne Dyson

April 13, 1939 - February 23, 2019