Erma Dean Berry Sears

Erma Dean (Berry) Sears passed away on December 23, 2020. Deanie was born to Holland and Annie Laura (Simpkins) Berry on July 14,1933. She attended elementary school at Sylvia six years, Charlotte Elementary for two years and , then continued at Charlotte High School. She graduated as the valedictorian of the class of 1951. She graduated from Austin Peay in 1955 with majors in English and Business. She worked as the student secretary for the Dean of Women, Mabel Meacham. She was honored to receive the William McClure Drane Award at graduation. Deanie has been a member of the Church of Christ since she was twelve. In Dickson county she was a member at Sylvia and Walnut Street. Deanie served well as an executive secretary. Her first job was secretary to the Vice-president in charge of sales at Aladdin industries for eight years. She worked for one year for Atlantic Coastline (now CSX) in Jacksonville, Florida. She worked a short time at DuPont before accepting a job at IBM, she worked three years at the Testing Center at Nashville Tech (now Nashville State Community College). Deanie married William Friedman Sears on November 2, 1963. After the wedding they moved to Jacksonville for a year. After moving back to Nashville, as a happy couple they worked with each other to be successful. (Bill worked as a buyer for Harvey’s and then later had his own jeans store in Nashville and Dickson and finally he had a curtain store on Nolensville Road.) Deanie and Bill have lived in a Madison apartment on the lake in Hendersonville, on Price Circle Road in Nashville, and finally for about fifteen years in one of the homes associated with The Meadows. When their health declined, as planned they moved into the Meadow’s nursing home. Bill passed away on February 26, 2019. Deanie is survived by three sisters: Sue, Pat, and Peggy Berry, Many Berry family cousins and many Simpkins family cousins, nieces Pam Antinori (Anthony), Rebecca Sowell (Dan) and Patti Lee. Special thanks go to cousin Sandra Baker Himes, who was so faithful to help in caring for both Deani and Bill. And thanks to niece Pam Antinori for handling finances and other business for many years. Through all of the illness Deanie kept a smile which everyone who knew her will sorely miss.Visitation will be at Dickson Funeral Home prior to the burial at Mt. Olivet. Time will be anounced later. Visitation with the family will be Wed 10:00 AM-12:15, at the Dickson Funeral Home and cremation center. Procession will leave Dickson by 12:45 PM and proceed to Mt Olive Cemetery 1101 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37210 for 2 o’clock burial. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Walnut Street Church of Christ, Alzheimer’s or to your favorite charity.