In memoriam:
Alva “Newt” Dilley
1923-2015
There will be a celebration of the life of Alva Newton “Newt” Dilley on Nov. 12 5-7 p.m. at the University Club, 111 Lyon St. NW, 10th floor.
Alva Dilley was born in Grand Rapids on Aug. 8, 1923, to Albert “Rom” and Myrtle Dilley. After graduating from Ottawa Hills High School in 1941, Dilley attended Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., until he enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. He served in Intelligence and Reconnaissance, seeing active combat in France, Belgium and Germany, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star and French Legion of Honor. Dilley then completed his degrees at Colgate and Yale Law School on the GI Bill, and returned to Grand Rapids to join the law practice of his father Rom Dilley in 1950.
He married the love of his life, Ann Newell MacWilliam, whom he met while at Yale, on Feb. 16, 1952. He is survived by his bride, Ann Dilley, his three children —Cameron Dow Dilley, Deborah Ann Dilley Vaughan, and Abby Payson Dilley — seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
Proud member of a long and continuing line of Dilley attorneys, Newt never retired, serving most recently Of Counsel along with his long-time friend and law partner, Nick Dewey, for the firm RizzoBryan, whose namesake attorneys had learned their skills in Dilley’s and Dewey’s previous firms. In 2014, Jennie Bryan told Grand Rapids Legal News, “We go back way back with our senior partner Newt Dilley – as far back as a firm Newt’s father started in 1914. Newt is 90 years old, but he’s even in the office today!”
Dilley served on many boards and was active in numerous civic organizations, but he really cherished time spent out-of-doors, especially at the cabin on the White River which had been in his family since 1931. In fact, the family requests that instead of flowers, people honor Newt Dilley by contributing to the A. Newton Dilley White River Fund, started by daughter Abby in 2013 in honor of his 90th birthday. “Rivers need our help—they’ve been abused for so long,” he is quoted as saying on the website facommunityfoundation.org. Donations should be sent to the Fremont Area Community Foundation, c/o Bob Jordan, PO Box B, Fremont, MI 49412.
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