Rudolph D. Dyke

Bishop Rudolph Dunbar Dyke was born June 25, 1927 to the late William Robert Dyke and Sallie Calloway Dyke. He was the youngest of eleven children born to that union. Rudolph married Anna Ruth Robinson on December 26, 1950 and from their union, 8 wonderful children were born. During that same year, Rudolph was drafted into the Korean war as an Army medic where he served stateside in all three VA hospitals in the Pittsburgh area. On November 17, 2019, at the age of 92, he was peacefully called home to be with the Lord.

Rudolph loved nature, fishing, farming, reading, gardening and most especially staying current with world events. He also loved playing horseshoes and was named the Horseshoe King of Goode, VA. His absolute first love was the piano of which he self-taught and mastered at the age of 7. Additionally, several of his siblings also played the guitar and piano skillfully and professionally. Rudolph’s expertise for playing continued as a young adult as he gained notoriety among the Pentecostal churches as ‘The Piano Man’ who also preached the gospel. Even in the family home, the children have fond memories of being lulled to sleep by their dad’s soothing piano selections. At the age of 84, he composed a CD entitled ‘Casual Christian Dinner Music’.

Rudolph was very much a family man and he enjoyed taking annual drives to his homestead in Virginia. The large family of 10 traveled between Goode, Bedford and Lynchburg during the summer season visiting with extended family members who were siblings, uncles and aunts, nephews and nieces and cousins. He especially looked forward to the large family reunions nearly every year during the hot month of August where he eagerly reconnected with the wide-reaching Dyke/Calloway clan.

Bishop Dyke was an excellent student of the Word, having graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary and College, he could preach a sermon with inspiration, zeal and insight. He really enjoyed evangelizing and sharing the gospel with anyone who’d listen; the setting could be casually among friends and family, in a favorite restaurant, or even along a crowded coastal fishing pier in the Carolinas. He sincerely desired for everyone to live holy and to always be ready to meet the Lord. As many of you have often heard him say, his exhortation never strayed from: “Stay saved and be ready to meet the Lord!”

Rudolph D. Dyke was preceded in death by his loving wife, Anna Ruth Dyke. He was the last remaining sibling of 7 brothers (William, John, Charles, James, Murrell, George, and Robin) and 3 sisters (India, Edna and Signora).

Rudolph will be lovingly remembered by his children; Dr. Debra Ihunnah (Anthony), Donna Borden, Linda Wheatley (Sidney), Cheryl Harrison (Mark), Rudolph Dyke, Jr., Pamela Wingfield, David Dyke (Adrienne), Michael Dyke (Keisha). He also leaves his grandchildren; Dr. Chioma Anjou (Temi), Dr. Chibueze Ihunnah, Chinyere Ihunnah, Nichelle Borden, Angel Borden, Matthew Wheatley, Alexander Matthew Thomas (Quintina), Ian Stringer, Melody Stringer, Gary Wingfield Jr..(Dawn), Monique Yost, Erik Wingfield, Ashley Dyke, Vanessa Dyke, LaSheri Dyke, Michael Dyke Jr., Madison Dyke; 6 great grandchildren and a host of grandnephews, grandnieces, family and friends.

Bishop Rudolph D. Dyke was a great patriarch of the Dyke-Calloway family and his legacy will continue to be a beacon of light through his family and all who knew him.

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