Johnny Dye

Johnny Dye was born to Flora Booker and Dave Dye, in Batesville Mississippi on July 22, 1940. He was the youngest of seven children: 2 sisters and 4 brothers. John’s early education was in Batesville, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee. In 1959 Johnny moved with his brother and sister-in-law to New Haven, Connecticut. There he continued his education at Hillhouse High School and graduated high school while being employed at Yale New Haven Hospital. After graduating from high school, John enlisted in the United States Army for three years, as a field radio repairman. While serving his term in the Army he met his wife, Martha. After receiving his honorable discharge from the service, John and Martha got married on March 18, 1966. Together they had three children: Nancy, Michael, and Karen. John did not neglect his spiritual growth. In New Haven, he joined St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church, where he was a trustee. He then went on to attend New Growth Outreach Ministries, under the ministry of Rev. Marks. His final church home was with Rev. Johnson at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, where he served on the trustee board until his retirement. This was his final church home before he was called to Glory. John was employed by Pratt & Whitney in January of 1966 and was trained as a tool and die maker. During his employment at Pratt, he attended and graduated from South Central Community College and Manchester Community College with a Degree in General Education. He went on to attend Central Connecticut State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Technology Concentration and Manufacturing Technology. Throughout his 33 years of working at Pratt & Whitney, John worked as a toolmaker and manufacturing engineer. He belonged to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He was also recognized by Junior Achievement for his work with young people. Having spent the majority of his life in New Haven, John was dedicated to making New Haven a safe, healthy, and positive environment for all its residents. He was a strong believer in community involvement. When Sarah McIver moved to Arthur Street, he encouraged her to become active in community and political activities, which led to them becoming longtime friends. He invested a great deal of his free time and energy by volunteering on various community projects and boards: Captain of the Arthur Street Block Watch, Section Rep. Hill South Citywide Block Watch, Democratic Town Committee, Voter registration drive, Fighting Back Empower New Haven, Crime Prevention, Weed & Seed, Block Cleanup, Thanksgiving and Christmas food Drives. As the President of the Arthur Street Block Watch Association, he applied for and received grants for the beautification of Arthur Street. He was instrumental in obtaining a grant for a memorial garden honoring some of the deceased senior residents of Arthur Street. Due to his hard work, he was honored and recognized by the City-Wide Block Association and the City of New Haven. In 2001, he also received an official citation from the Connecticut Senate in recognition of his work in the community. In 2001, John traveled to New Hampshire to accept the Robert Trojanowicz Memorial Award in Community Policing for his lifetime achievement in fostering community policing in the neighborhood and throughout the city. He also received The Department Award of Special Achievement from the City of New Haven. When he wasn’t volunteering for the community he enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandkids and great-grandkids. He was affectionately known as Poppy to them. After his retirement from Pratt & Whitney, he still continued with his involvement with the community. To keep himself somewhat busy he took on a part-time job at Columbus Auto, delivering auto parts in his little black truck. John continued to serve the Hill Community even in his later years. He served as the City of New Haven Alderman for the Hill neighborhood when no one else would take the job. On May 13, 2024, John was honored with a plaque on a landmark clock that stands in the corner of the neighborhood where he served. John was a thinker and history buff. He spent a lot of his personal time reading the encyclopedia and only certain sections of the newspaper. You could often find him sitting outside on the front porch talking to anyone and everyone passing by the house. He loved to share his knowledge or insight on different topics and at times became long-winded, especially when saying grace. John was preceded in death by his parents Flora Booker and Dave Dye; siblings: Mack Booker, Cora Doyle, Haze Booker, Ulish Booker (Milred), James Booker, and Betty Shelton; His niece Emma Freeman (who was like a sister), Sister in Christ Ella Vereen and his son Michael Dye. He leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Martha Dye; daughters: Nancy and Karen Dye; Grandchildren: Brittany Dye, Kashera Booker, Octivia Booker, Aja Dye, Lawrence Booker, Forrest Booker, and Sean Daniel; and 11 great-grandchildren. He also leaves to mourn his death special cousins William Gordon Sr. and Rose Gordon; Little Sister in Christ: Betty Evans; Sarah McIver; Three God-Children: Rev. Dr. Cicely Little, Alonda Bailey, and Mark Doward; Four Sisters In-law: Mildred Booker, Marie Jackson and Vera Walton; Two Brothers In-law: Clarence and Melvin Walton; and a host of nieces & nephews and other relatives and friends.

Johnny Dye

July 22, 1940 - December 2, 2024