Former longtime lawmaker Frank Niceley dies at 78

Former longtime lawmaker Frank Niceley died at the age of 78 in Knoxville on June 19, 2025, following a heart attack while working on his farm in the Strawberry Plains area.  

Niceley served in the Tennessee State Senate from 2013 until 2025 and as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, first representing the 35th District from 1988 to 1992 and then representing the 17th District from 2005 to 2012. In total, Niceley spent 24 years in the Tennessee General Assembly.  

A native of the Strawberry Plains community, Niceley earned a bachelor’s degree in soil science from the University of Tennessee and worked as a dairy farmer and businessman.  

“The unofficial historian of the Senate, Frank Niceley was a Tennessee original in every possible sense,” said Lt. Gov. Randy McNally in a statement. “Fiercely independent, deeply rooted in his community and unwavering in his convictions, he brought a farmer’s wisdom and a statesman’s heart to public service. “A passionate fighter for rural Tennessee and the values he held dear, his passing is a loss to our state and to all who knew and served with him. My prayers are with his family during this difficult time.” 

He is survived by Cyndie, his wife of 53 years, his daughters Jennifer and Anna, son Will, and five grandchildren.