Amelia Dell Parks Dean

View Video Tribute View Funeral Webcast Amelia Dell Parks Dean, age 87, a proud resident of Maury County, passed away on October 4, 2022. Amelia was born February 26, 1935, in Spring Hill, the only daughter and youngest of five children born to the late Wiley Hill Parks and Willie Lawrence Parks. Amelia was predeceased by her husband of 62 years, Norman Franklin Dean, on August 23, 2014. Amelia grew up on a farm in Spring Hill and learned the value of hard work from her parents. She graduated in 1952 from Spring Hill High School where she received the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award, played basketball, served on the Mule Day Queen Court in 1950 and was crowned Football Queen in 1951. After graduation, she married Norman Dean on June 1, 1952. While Norman was serving in the Air Force during the Korean War, they resided in Colorado Springs where Amelia attended Blair Business College and participated in a beauty pageant at The Broadmoor Hotel. In Murfreesboro, where they lived after Norman was discharged from the Air Force until 1965, they had their only child, Allison, before returning to Spring Hill and then to Columbia in 1971. Amelia graduated from Columbia State Community College in 1974 with a degree in nursing. She completed the Critical Care Program through the University of Tennessee at Nashville in 1975 and was certified as a provider of Advanced Cardiac Life Support in 1978. She worked as a registered nurse for 20 years and worked in the cardiology department at Maury Regional Hospital until she retired in 1994. She enjoyed working with her husband in his real estate business and at auctions. She delighted in growing flowers and vegetables, being out on the farms they owned over the years with all the cows and bulls she had named, bird watching, and spending time with her many dogs and cats. She mowed her own yard for nearly 60 years until she was 83 years old, even using a push mower the day Allison was born. She loved working in the yard and being out in nature. It brought her great joy to see the birds, a groundhog or deer. She was proud of being a hard worker. She loved playing the piano and the organ every day. Some of her favorite songs were “Victory in Jesus” and “I Come to the Garden Alone.” She was a member of West Seventh Street Church of Christ for nearly 40 years and read the entire Bible three times. She considered having a Bible to read and piano to play life’s greatest gifts. She said the key to having a good life is to “Read your Bible and know what it is telling you to do.” One of her favorite verses was “Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands.” (I Thessalonians 4:11) Amelia said that some of the most important lessons she learned in life were to work hard, get all the education possible, be a good nurse, be a good farm worker and to have patience. She wanted to be remembered as a woman who worked hard, who used a tractor on the farm and who did not bother other people. “I try to be a good mother, as no other title could be better,” she said. Allison reminded her each time she left her “You are a wonderful mother.” Amelia is survived by her only child, Allison Dean Love, and her son-in-law, Phil Love, of Columbia S.C.; sisters-in-law LaBetha Parks and Jewell Dean. She was predeceased by her brothers whom she loved, Lawrence Hill Parks, Charles Kenneth Parks, James Leslie Parks, Harold Stephenson Parks; her brothers-in-law, Thomas Ashton, William (Billy) Dean, Waylan Dean, William Inman and Henry Graham; and by sisters-in-law, Phyllis Parks, Bettye Parks, Norma Lee Ashton, Doris Ashton Inman, Ann Dean Graham and Joan Potts Dean. Her nieces and nephews are Linda (Ray) Dzikowski, Fleming Island, Fla.; Alan (Sheila) Parks, Americus, Ga.; Tracey (Kim) Parks, Lebanon; David (Meg) Parks, Gallatin, Kathy (John) Pewitt, Thompson's Station; Pebby (Eddie) McClain, Jacksonville, Fla.; Thomas (Nedra) Ashton, Houston, Texas; Tim Ashton, Denham Springs, La.; David (Susan) Ashton, Austin, Texas; Brenda Graham McGrath, Knoxville; Ken (Rowena) Graham, Franklin; Teresa Dean, Columbia, S.C.; Lisa Dean, Franklin and Chuck (Tracy) Dean, Columbia, S.C.. She was preceded in death by nephews, Douglas Dean and Eddie Inman. A graveside service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, October 10 at Morton Cemetery in the Leftwich Bridge Community. James Thomas will officiate the services. The service will include many of Amelia’s favorite piano and organ songs recorded by her. Pallbearers will be Phil Love, John Pewitt, Brant Pewitt, Tracey Parks, David Parks, Chuck Dean and Ken Graham. A special thanks to the caregivers from The Reserve in Spring Hill, Compassus and Touching Hearts along with Dr. Nathan Lafferty and Dr. David Hutchings. Memorials may be made to West Seventh Street Church of Christ Building Fund, the Norman and Amelia Dean Scholarship at Columbia Academy, the Norman F. Dean and Amelia P. Dean Scholarship at The Citadel, or The Citadel Graduate College Dean-Love Leadership and Ethics Program c/o The Citadel Foundation, 171 Moultrie St., Charleston, S.C. 29409 or https://foundation.citadel.edu/deanfamily. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Directors are assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.oakesandnichols.com.