Senior Vice President for Student Affairs & Public Safety Ginger Ambler sent the following message to the campus community on Feb. 13, 2025 – Ed.

Dear William & Mary Community,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you of the passing of John Ekow Deacon-Dickens, a graduate student who entered the MBA program at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business last semester. Although the exact cause of John’s death is not yet known, he collapsed suddenly on February 8, 2025, and lost his life despite the efforts of emergency medical professionals.

A graduate of Methodist University College Ghana in Accra, Ghana, John was a driven and talented business professional. He joined Access Bank in November 2023 as Team Lead Africa Trade, after working as a Trade Sales Manager and a Trade Sales Officer at Consolidated Bank Ghana for over three years. Friends have said that his “kindness, generosity, and warmth touched everyone who knew him.”

John is mourned by his loving wife, Adowa; three daughters — Baaba, Aba, and Efe; as well as parents, siblings, extended family, and a host of treasured friends. While we do not yet have information about memorial arrangements for John, the family has indicated that any written expressions of sympathy can be sent to 1284 Maple Shade Road SW, Concord, NC, 28027.

Please remember that W&M resources are available for anyone who needs them. Counselors may be reached by phone, day or night, at 757-221-3620, or you may access a variety of services through TimelyCare, including 24/7 on-demand emotional support, counseling and guided self-care. 

I know you join me in extending deepest sympathies to John’s family and friends. May we keep them all close to our hearts in this time of great loss.

Sincerely,

Ginger Ambler