Douglas Delano "Doug" Dickey

Funeral services for Mr. Douglas (Doug) Delano Dickey, age 80 of Cookeville, TN will be held on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 11:00 am at Crest Lawn Funeral Home. Dr. Paul Ramsey Jr will officiate. Interment will follow at West Cemetery in Cookeville.
His family will receive friends Wednesday evening, January 17th from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and again Thursday, January 18th from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service at the Cookeville chapel of Crest Lawn Funeral Home.
Mr. Dickey departed from this life Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at Harmony Memory Care in Brentwood, TN.
He was born July 3, 1943 in Ramer, McNairy Co, TN to Marshall Terry and Sylvia Daisy (Lumpkin) Dickey. He resided in Memphis for most of his childhood and then graduated from Messick High School in Memphis. He was a proud member of the US Army National Guard.
He met his wife, Karen Furrow, in Memphis, TN. Doug and Karen married on July 16, 1966 and celebrated 54 years of marriage until her death in 2021.
Doug was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He relished time spent with his family. Annual vacations, often to the beach or the mountains, were a staple in his children's lives. Throughout the years, his family created countless memories on those vacations. He loved sports and in his younger years, he participated in softball.
Doug had an impeccable work ethic. He truly enjoyed people and was known as a kind, caring, and compassionate person among his co-workers. It was evident that the feelings were mutual. Over the years, there were many phone calls, texts, and a number of visits by his friends and former co-workers to let him know how much he meant to them. His life wisdom was "As you climb the corporate ladder, always treat others with respect, because as fast as you can climb the ladder, you can fall down." He lived his life in accordance with Matthew 7:12, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
Even when he entered Memory Care of Brentwood, work and service brought him joy. During his two year stay there, he enjoyed being "supervisor" of the unit and would often instruct the employees at the nurses station of necessary changes that needed to be made to improve performance. He loved his care team and they loved him. He kept them thoroughly entertained while joking and flirting with them.
His passion for cars was truly remarkable. Even when his memory began to fail him, he could still recall, in order, over 100 cars and trucks that he had owned and the year that he purchased them. He was especially fond of his 1963 Corvette Stingray Convertible that he owned until the very end. He often joked that he would sell his wife before getting rid of his car. Together, he and his wife created numerous happy memories while cruising in that Corvette.
Throughout his career, Doug worked mostly in the food industry. In Memphis, he was employed by John Morrell Food Group. He and his family then moved to Bristol, VA in 1981 where he worked for Valleydale Foods (Smithfield) as plant manager. In 1986, he relocated to Cookeville, where he was plant manager for Fast Food Merchandisers (Hardee's Corp) in Monterey TN. His career also took him to Laurinburg, NC and Berlin, OH. When Doug fully retired, he and his family moved back to Cookeville in 1999.
Doug was of the Baptist faith. He attended Church on the Hill, where he served often as a door greeter, and he was also a member of First Baptist Church.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Karen Dickey; parents, Marshall and Sylvia Dickey; and his sister, Janet Thomas. He is survived by his sister, Pamela Clark; his sons Alan Dickey Douglas (Cathy) of Brentwood, TN; and Michael Drew Dickey (Lisa) of Cookeville; grandchildren Reese Douglas, Jenny Douglas, Ethan Douglas and Brent Jared (Misty); and great grandchildren Jonas Jared, Gabe Jared, and Noah Jared. Along with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Blake Grogan, Billy Lee, Frank Tittle, Jeff Marsh, Reese Douglas, and Ethan Douglas will serve as pallbearers.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Alzheimer's Association www.alz.org
Crest Lawn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.