Dorris Laverne Stone Dean

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Dorris Laverne Stone Dean, 85, of Blytheville, passed away June 16, 2019, at Reynolds Hospice House in Collierville, Tenn. She was born in Oran, Mo., the youngest child of Rayburn Hodge Stone and Huelan Houston Stone. The Stone family moved to the Lone Oak community to be closer to the Hodge family. Later, they moved to Blytheville where she attended Blytheville City Schools. Her years at Blytheville High School were filled with active participation in the BHS Marching Band where she served as head majorette. She also participated in the Red Peppers Club. In 1950 she was chosen Queen of the Red Razoo Club and in 1951 she was chosen for Senior Court and was named Miss Blytheville High School. Along with these honors, she was voted Prettiest, Most Popular, Most Talented, and Most Sophisticated.

On Dec. 23, 1951, she married her sweetheart, Robert (Bob) Fenton Dean. They moved to Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio, Texas, until Bob was deployed to Korea. Upon his return, they moved to Memphis for a few years before returning to make Blytheville their home in 1958. Dorris and Bob were married for almost 53 years.

Mrs. Dean was active in Junior Auxiliary and performed regularly in the “Follies.” She also served as PTA president of Fairview Elementary and taught Sunday School at First Baptist Church where she was a member.

In 1966, Mrs. Dean began working for Blytheville Junior High as secretary and in 1971 moved to Blytheville High. She later became secretary to the assistant superintendent where she worked until her retirement in 2003. All four of her children worked for the school district. She loved Blytheville Schools and the students it served.

Family was always her biggest focus, but she also loved genealogy and vacationing at Gaston’s on the White River.

Mrs. Dean was preceded in death by her husband Robert (Bob) Fenton Dean; parents, Huelan and Rayburn Stone; brothers, Huelan Houston Jr. and Norman Stone; and sister, Wilma Stone Skelton.

Mrs. Dean is survived by her four children, daughters Kimberly Ann Dean Files of Cave Springs, Elaine C. Dean of Collierville, Tenn., and Amy S. Gardner and her husband Derek of Collierville, Tenn., and son, Robert Fenton Dean Jr. and his wife Jacque of Bentonville.

She is also survived by four grandchildren, Houston Files and wife Kari of Cave Springs, Lane, Olivia Gardner of Collierville, Tenn., and Caroline Dean of Bentonville; and two great-grandsons, Wyatt and Greyson Files of Cave Springs.

Visitation for Mrs. Dean will be held Thursday, June 20, at Cobb Funeral Home from 10-11 a.m. A private graveside service will follow for family members at Elmwood Cemetery.

The family would like any memorials to go to Reynolds Hospice House in Collierville, Tenn.

Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.cobbfuneralhome.com.