His cause of death is not known, but he had struggled with heart problems and cancer for the past two years.
Dickinson retired in 2002, after 30 years in county and state government, one of the longest and most fruitful careers in the history of the House of Delegates.
Before he left the legislature, he led the House Appropriations Committee, a powerful post that helped him secure funding for numerous projects in his district and the Fredericksburg area.
Dickinson’s patronage of the University of Mary Washington once led legislative wags to dub it “Earl’s College.” UMW's baseball team plays in V. Earl Dickinson Stadium.
Both Piedmont Community College and Germanna Community College have buildings named after him.
--Staff reports