William G Dodson

William G. "Bill" Dodson, 77, retired funeral director and long-time resident of Nashville Highway, died Saturday, June 9, 2007 at Maury Regional Hospital. Funeral services will be conducted Monday at 11:00 a.m. at Oakes & Nichols with Jack White officiating. Burial will be in Polk Memorial Gardens with military honors provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post #19. The family will visit with friends Sunday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Notes of sympathy may be sent to www.oakesandnichols.com. The Maury County native was the son of the late B. A. and Novie Blackburn Dodson. He was a 1947 graduate of Columbia Military Academy and attended Middle Tennessee State University. He began his funeral service career July 1, 1948 with Williams Funeral Home. In April 1951, he enrolled in John A. Gupton School of Mortuary Science in Nashville and graduated in the class of 1952. He took a leave from funeral service to serve in the United States Marine Corps during the war in Korea. He resumed his duties at Williams Funeral Home in April 1954,and continued employment until October 1, 1982. In January 1983, he became associated with Oakes & Nichols Funeral Directors. He remained with the firm until he suffered a stroke, forcing his retirement in February 2002. In addition to funeral service, Mr. Dodson was former owner of Columbia Health Monitoring Service, a licensed real estate agent, and licensed insurance agent. He was a member of the Church of Christ since childhood, Herbert Griffin American Legion Post #19, and James K. Polk Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police. He was honored in 1998 with an award from the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association for fifty years in funeral service. October 16, 1964, he married the former Carolyn Biffle, who survives. He is also survived by two sons, Jason Bryan (Shannon Crutcher) Dodson of Columbia and Michael Byrun (Rita) Dodson of Nolensville; a daughter, Dianne Shroder of Nashville; a grandson, Stephen Thomas Shroder, Jr. of Nashville; brother-in-law, Paul Ellis of Columbia; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Beatrice Dodson in 1990 and Sue Dell Ellis in 2005. Oakes & Nichols personnel will serve as active pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers include Donald Sanford, Bob Thomas, Joe Foster, David Wise, Freddie Rich, James Boyd, Pat Troope, Bobby Williams, Bud Hurt, Jerry Colley, Ashley Brown, Enoch George, and Kenneth Mullinax.