Our Staff

Tony is the son of Dorothy Gray Sowell and the late Frank F. Sowell and a third-generation member of the Sowell family associated with the firm. He attended Columbia Military Academy for several years and is a 1968 graduate of Columbia Central High School. He later attended Columbia State Community College and the University of Tennessee at Martin. A Licensed Funeral Director since 1972, Tony worked around the funeral home since teenage years and currently serves as President of Oakes & Nichols, Inc.  He has been active in committee work with the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association and Selected Independent Funeral Directors and served on the Convention Committee for the National Funeral Directors Association Convention in Nashville. He is a member of Graymere Church of Christ, Columbia Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow, Columbia Masonic Lodge, Columbia Elks Club, Maury County Chamber of Commerce and American Quarter Horse Association. His love for animals began as a young boy when he spent much of his time on his grandparent's Turkey Creek farm between Santa Fe and Water Valley. Tony pursued his interest in horses working with his children in Pony Club activities over the years. He has participated in numerous Team Roping Competitions in various states with his sons and other partners. Over the years, he has collected several wagons and other horse and mule-drawn vehicles. Tony and his wife, Susie Delk Sowell, live on Turkey Creek Stock Farm and have three children, Matt, is associated with Oakes & Nichols; Andy, is a commercial pilot for Southwest Air Lines; and Meribeth, who teaches Kindergarten at Battle Creek Elementary School; and nine wonderful grandchildren.

Susie, daughter of the late Edith Whiteside Delk and the late Mayfield Delk, has been associated with Oakes & Nichols since her graduation from Columbia Central High School in 1969. In 1972 she married Tony Sowell and they have three children. Matt is employed at Oakes & Nichols, Andy is a professional pilot, and Meribeth teaches Kindergarten at Battle Creek Elementary School. She is the doting grandmother of nine wonderful grandchildren. She has been a licensed funeral director since January 1991. She is also a licensed life insurance agent and has served on advisory boards for two insurance companies. Susie enjoys traveling and doing things with her family. She especially enjoys anything and everything about DISNEY.

Matt is the oldest son of Tony and Susie Sowell. He was named for his grandfather Frank Freeman Sowell; who was associated with Oakes & Nichols for more than 50 years and was President Emeritus of Oakes & Nichols at the time of his death in 1997. Matt grew up in the funeral business and has been employed at Oakes & Nichols since he was old enough to hold a shovel. He is married to Laura Katherine Sowell and has four wonderful children. Matt went to high school at Columbia Academy where he was voted friendliest, played football, sang in the chorus, and was awarded the Columbia Noon Rotary Club's "Service Above Self" award. Matt has participated in equestrian events since the age of 10. His favorite is the Rodeo event of Team Roping. He later went to Freed-Hardeman University where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in management. After graduating from Freed-Hardeman University he immediately began working at Oakes & Nichols as a director's assistant. In June 2001 Matt received his Funeral Director's license from the State of Tennessee Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers. Matt is very active in the Columbia Noon Rotary Club where he has been a member since 1998 and became a Paul Harris Fellow in 2002. He is also an ambassador for Maury Alliance and a 2003 graduate of Leadership Maury. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Leadership Maury Alumni Association. Matt and his family worship at the Greenfield Bend Church of Christ.

Jeff, a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1980, concentrates most of his time to pre-need funeral consulting. He is a licensed pre-need agent and life insurance agent. He has been a member of the Oakes & Nichols staff since his graduation from the Gupton-Jones School of Mortuary Science in Atlanta, Georgia in 1979. He has also had training on eye-enucleation at the East Tennessee Eye Bank and has attended disaster classes held by the state association. Jeff is a long-time member of the Georgia Academy of Graduate Embalmers and attends yearly continuing education classes and seminars. A Maury County native and graduate of Tullahoma High School in 1978, he has a son, Zane. Jeff enjoys sharing his hobbies with Zane, which include salt and fresh water fly-fishing and golf. 

A licensed funeral director and embalmer, Shane began his association with the firm in September 1990. He was born and reared in Marshall County and graduated from Marshall County High School in 1988. He graduated from John A. Gupton Mortuary College in 1991 and is certified by the National Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. He has taken numerous courses and attended continuing education seminars during his career, including Disaster Preparedness Training and Certification. Additionally, he holds a Tennessee Insurance License. Shane is a member of First Presbyterian Church, is an avid antique collector, and enjoys gardening.

Jason is the son of Vicki Elliott and the late James Wright and was reared by his great uncle, Virgil White and great aunt, the late Doris White.  Jason has made his home in Summertown but is a Columbia native and graduated from Columbia Academy and in 2002 Columbia State Community College.  Following in the footsteps of his uncle Doug Brown, he joined our staff in May 2013 as Apprentice Funeral Director and Embalmer ranking in the top 10% of his December 2013 graduating class at John A. Gupton College of Mortuary Science. Jason has two children, Emily and Clayton.  He enjoys volunteering with the community theater, going to rodeos, and spending time with his family.

Hayden is the son of Sammy and Jenefer Pate. He has one younger brother, Hudson. He was born in Columbia and raised in Chapel Hill. Hayden is a 2018 graduate of Forrest High School. After high school, Hayden moved to Nashville and pursued his college education. He graduated from John A. Gupton Mortuary College in 2020. He has a degree in Mortuary Science and is a licensed funeral director and embalmer. Hayden likes playing golf and watching the Atlanta Braves. 

Doug, a licensed funeral director, joined the staff of Oakes & Nichols in 1990. He is married to Janice Looper Brown, an R.N., and has two sons, Tony and Danny and two grandchildren.  A native Columbian, he is a 1961 graduate of Columbia Central High School, attended Columbia Business College, and Columbia State Community College. For a number of years, he was in retail and route sales with Sealtest, Frito-Lay, and was a Life Insurance Agent with American General Life Insurance Company. He is an active member in the Berea Church of Christ where he leads singing. Doug retired in 2011, but continues to assist with services and other duties. In their spare time, Doug and Janice enjoying camping in their motor home.

Carolyn Elizabeth Skelley is a native of Maury County and the daughter of the late William Richard Skelley and the late Catherine Lilly Gidcomb Skelley. She was a 1966 graduate of Santa Fe High School. Carolyn worked for Dr. Wendell C. Bennett for 11 years and retired from Core Physicians after 38 years. After being retired for 3 years, she came to work for Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Carolyn enjoys sports, dancing, relaxing, and going to the mountains. Carolyn resides in Columbia with her sister and brother-in-law, Susan and James Toungette.

Caroline Sowell is the oldest daughter of Andy and Shellie Sowell, granddaughter of Tony and Susie Sowell and the fourth generation of Sowell’s to be associated with the funeral home. She is homeschooled and will graduate high school in 2024. She is training to receive her pilots license, and hopes to become a commercial pilot after college. She volunteers at Battle Creek Elementary School, in kindergarten and second grade. She loves books, Harry Potter, legos, music, plays the guitar, ukulele, and piano. She is Vice President of the youth group at her parish of St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin TN.

Jimmy was born in Nashville and attended Isaac Litton High School. He served in the U.S. Air Force and moved to Columbia in January 1977 as manager of Servomation, a vending and food service company. In 1989, he was employed at Industrial Products Company in outside sales, covering parts of six states, until his retirement in May 2015. He joined the Oakes & Nichols staff in May 2016.

Jimmy loved coaching Little League Baseball for fifteen years in the American Little League. He loves baseball and Alabama football, ROLL TIDE.

Jimmy is married to Carol Wrye Fann and they celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2018. They have three children, Dr. Brian Fann, a dentist in Columbia, Jennifer Fann Fleming, a teacher at Brown Elementary School, and Paul Fann, Maury County Sheriff’s Dept. transport deputy; and five grandchildren. His family attends Graymere Church of Christ.

Bill joined the staff of Oakes & Nichols in June 2014.  He attended school in Madison County, Alabama and graduated from McKinley High School in Hawaii.  After serving in the U.S. Navy, he was hired at Monsanto where he was a member of their baseball team.  He left that employment to play professional baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates for three years.  A 1972 graduate of Purdue University with a B.S. Degree in Agronomy, Bill studied business-minded supervision at the University of Wisconsin and spent the next forty-four years managing Golf Clubs and building new ones. An avid sportsman, Bill has coached church softball and basketball teams.  He has coached baseball from Little League teams all the way through American League.  He has taught swimming at the YMCA in Huntsville, Alabama.  He is a member of Highland Park Baptist Church and active in the activities of Maury Baptist Association.   He is married to Doris Stewart, has one son, Steve; two daughters, Kim and Pam; eight grandchildren; one step-son, Todd; and two step-grandchildren.  His first wife Betty Scroggins Stewart died March 12, 2009.

Dorothy is a native of the Santa Fe Community in Maury County, Tennessee, and the daughter of the late Sam E. and Gertrude Gray Gray and died September 8, 2021. She married the late Frank F. Sowell in Columbia, Tennessee, on May 11, 1943. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1993. She was the mother of four children: Jane Gray "Bunny" Sowell who died October 5, 2015; Tony (Edith Sue Delk) Sowell; Mrs. Louis Harvey (Beth) Fischer; Miss Sammye A. Sowell (Joe Czajka), and enjoyed her grandchildren, Matthew Freeman (Laura Kelley) Sowell, Andrew Delk (Shellie Singleton) Sowell, Meribeth Gray Sowell (Will) Bradley, William Chaffin Fischer, John Louis (Alison McCabe) Fischer, and Samuel Alexander Sowell; great-granddaughters, Ann Sowell, Caroline Sowell, Lexi Sowell, Meg Sowell, Amelia Sowell, Gwynn Sowell, Evelina Gray Fischer; great-grandsons, Will Sowell, Russ Sowell, and Emmett Bradley. During World War II, Dorothy worked at Helm's Jewelry and Southern Bell Telephone Company. While working at the telephone office on South Garden Street next to Oakes & Nichols, she met her future husband. After Frank's induction into the Army Air Corps, she joined Frank at various Air Bases in Florida, New Jersey, South Dakota, and Goldsboro, North Carolina, where he was shipped overseas. She returned to Columbia and continued to work for the duration of the war and was active in the USO. She was a member of First United Methodist Church and had been an avid gardener and rosarian for many years. She and Frank traveled extensively overseas and for a number of years enjoyed domestic travel in their motor home. Since his death she has continued to travel in the United States and abroad. She was a former member of Board of Directors and Vice President Emeritus of Oakes & Nichols, Inc., (1969 - 1988). She was a member of the Board of Trustees, Maury Regional Hospital from 1985 to 2004; served as a member, Building and Grounds Committee, Human Resources Committee, Joint Conference Committee; former chairman Joint Conference Committee; former member Advisory Board. Since her retirement as Trustee, she continued to serve the Board in several capacities. She was a Charter Member of the Maury County Hospital Auxiliary, having served 67 years. She held the offices of President, Vice President, Secretary, Chairman of Scholarship, Coffee Shop and various other committees and other volunteer assignments for over 40 years and currently serves as an Ambassador for Maury Regional Medical Center. She was State President, Tennessee Hospital Association Council on Auxiliaries (1984 - 1986); member of Council (1978 - 1986). Dot served as Co-chairman (with Frank) of Maury County Homecoming '86 (1983 - 1986). Major projects: Maury County Community Band established: HITHER & YON published; co-chaired fundraising for Aquatic Center at Columbia State Community College (over $300,000.00 raised locally). She was Co-chairman, Maury County "TENNESSEE 200" Committee; Member Maury County Chamber of Commerce-former member, Board of Directors; served as Secretary, Treasurer; chaired committee which established Maury County Clean Community System; also served on Tourism Committee; graduate of Leadership Maury (Class of 1990 - 1991); Maury County Election Official for 30 years; President of Rose Hill Endowment Association (1965 - 2005); Member of the James K. Polk Memorial Association Board of Directors, chaired several committees; elected President 1997. She is a member of Maury County Chapter, APTA; Maury County Historical Society; Columbia Chapter, American Field Service; Jane Knox Chapter, DAR; Captain James Madison Sparkman Chapter, UDC; Maury County Rose Society; Cosmopolitan Literary Club; serves as a volunteer and avid supporter of the Maury County Archives. Honors: Maury County Bar Association; Liberty Bell Award - 1987 (jointly with Frank); Columbia Civitan Club Maury County Outstanding Citizen - 1988; Maury County March of Dimes Citizen of the Year - 1992 (jointly with Frank); Lucille Queener Courtney Community Service Award - 1996; and most recently in November 2014, was honored by the Tennessee Hospital Association with the 2014 Meritorius Service Award.

Jane Gray "Bunny" Sowell, funeral director, embalmer, co-owner of Oakes & Nichols, Inc. and member of Tennessee State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, died October 5, 2015.