John Dickson was described by his son, Jeff Dickson, as an old-school type of coach and teacher. He made a positive impact on many lives through discipline, putting education first and always trying to do the right thing.

John Craig Dickson Jr., who died Jan. 26 at the age of 80, was a teacher at Knoch High School for 33 years. Through teaching, and his time coaching eighth- and ninth-grade basketball teams, he left a lasting impact on students across generations.

Born in Pittsburgh in 1944, he graduated from Yale, served in the U.S. Army and then attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his master’s in business administration. According to Dickson’s obituary, he was a member of Nixon United Methodist Church and was active at the YMCA. He enjoyed reading, exercising, coaching and was an avid fan of the Steelers and Pirates. He is survived by his three sons, JC, Travis and Jeff; along with seven grandchildren.

Other than time spent in Pittsburgh for high school and college, he lived his whole life in Butler County, a place Jeff said was important to his dad.

Jeff Dickson’s brief description of John Dickson was as ”a really impressive guy.” When discussing it further, he noted there was much people appreciated about his father.

“The thing that sticks with me most is his discipline; and that if you make a commitment, then you stick to it. Those were big tenants in his life.

“He wasn’t all about accolades or showing off or having the most friends. He had a quiet confidence and was very successful in life. He had a great education, and he chose to be a teacher when he had other opportunities.”

Jeff Dickson described his dad in the classroom and on the basketball court as a Bobby Knight type coach, though more controlled. He put education first, and set discipline and doing the right thing at the forefront. Those who were looking to learn got a lot out of John Dickson’s coaching.

Josh Shoop, athletic director at Knoch and a longtime friend of the Dickson family, described John Dickson as an extremely intelligent man and a fundamental master of basketball.

“He was such a great guy,” Shoop said. “There was a text chain being passed around when we got word he wasn’t doing well, and then when we heard he passed, stories were flying around thinking about things that happened when we were younger. He put a smile on everybody’s face.”

As an assistant coach, Dickson’s teams would be trying to implement zone defense, and he would be focused on working on dribbling and the fundamentals to help everybody improve their game. He was great at working with children, identifying weaknesses and understanding how he could help everybody.

According to Shoop, Dickson could connect with students and athletes, and they knew he really cared. John Dickson inspired them to work harder.

“One of his greatest gifts, he would look at team and find out what parts needed to get stronger,” Shoop said. “As a teacher, as you get older, you think about what spurred your interest, and Mr. Dickson seemed to always come to mind. He had such a strong impact on me, on my dad, on everybody.”

Chris Andreassi, a retired coach and teacher from Knoch, said he and Dickson taught the same class for a few years. Dickson was always helpful, organized and had great ideas on how to do things in the classroom.

“He was the most organized person I’ve ever been around,” Andreassi said.

“He was just a great friend. I would say if you’re a friend of his, it’s gonna be reciprocated, and you had a friend for life,” Andreassi added. “He was committed, intelligent, tireless, a working man, very professional.”

John Dickson’s impact was deep, and felt by many.

“He certainly touched a lot of people’s lives. I can tell you from experience, I went to Knoch High School,” Jeff Dickson said. “People either loved my dad or they hated him. There was a lot more who loved him and he helped a lot of people’s lives, even current teachers who had him in class. It’s awesome to hear what a mentor and role model he was.”

According to his obituary, all are invited to attend a memorial visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, at Thompson-Miller Funeral Home, 124 E. North St. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at Nixon United Methodist Church, 334 Airport Road.