Dean Dickey

Dean Dickey, former mayor of Columbia, died Jan. 8, 2026, at the age of 92. Dickey was first elected to the Columbia City Council in 2008 and then elected mayor in 2010. He served two terms as mayor, leaving office in 2019. The Championship Field at Ridley Park in Columbia was named in Dickey’s honor for his work bringing the sports complex to the city. Dickey served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and then owned and operated seven supermarkets in Middle Tennessee from 1973 until 1997. During his career, he also held management positions in the Tennessee Department of Labor and served as the business services manager at the Maury County Career Center. He was also on the board of the National Grocers Association, was instrumental in establishing the Tennessee Grocers Association, and served on the Columbia State Foundation