William Arthur Dick, Jr. (Jan. 6, 1967 – May 2, 2026)

It may have been the phrase on the front of one of his favorite Schoolhouse Rock-themed t-shirts, but William Arthur Dick, Jr. was never “just a bill.” Though he battled colorectal cancer for over a decade, passing away on May 2, his passions for the people and things he loved never dimmed.

Born in Atlanta on January 6, 1967, Bill was the oldest son of Carol Truax Dick and William Arthur Dick, joined later by two brothers, Robert and Steven. Though he grew up in “Atlanta, Savannah, Memphis, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, and New Orleans,” Bill graduated from Casady School in Oklahoma City, going on to major in economics and the classics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, the town he considered home. He also later received his Master of Accountancy at Belmont University in Nashville.

A member and proud treasurer of the Beta Pi chapter of Alpha Tau Omega at Vanderbilt, Bill was “high spirited” when it came to sports, especially his beloved Commodores that he cheered for, and occasionally gently coached from the sofa or bleachers, for over 40 years. His first date with Melissa Hambrick was on October 19, 1991, at the Vanderbilt vs. Georgia homecoming game. Vandy won, defeating UGA for the first time since 1973, and romance was in bloom. Melissa would say their wedding on August 21, 1993, happened in great part because Bill decided she was his good luck charm. They still have the commemorative mug handed out for the event.

Never “just a Bill,” he would say the best name he’s gone by is Dad to their two sons, Sean and Seth. He was a helper with math homework, baseball coach, basketball stats-keeper, Lord of the Rings/Star Wars marathon-watcher, Dad-joke-teller, and LEGO-sorter. Bill passed down his passions for Vanderbilt athletics and the Cincinnati Reds, and a shared nostalgic love of the back side of water, a “great big beautiful tomorrow,” and Dole Whips. Most of all, he was proud of the kind, considerate, purposeful young men that he was able to watch his sons become.

Bill spent several years as a GED-prep math teacher for the Salvation Army, inspired by his grandparents on both sides who were Salvation Army ministers. Not only did he coach his own sons’ baseball teams for Franklin Baseball Club, but he also later went on to serve as treasurer and commissioner of the 15-18-year-old league and was named a member of the FBC Hall of Fame in 2021. He was a member of Bethlehem United Methodist Church.

The fight with cancer eventually took away some of Bill’s favorite things—hot chicken wings with friends, a round of golf, seeing his Commodores in person at the Reliaquest Bowl. But you could still find him with a Dr. Pepper in his hand, flipping through a stack of baseball cards, or in front of an Excel spreadsheet solving a challenge with the team at Highspring/Vaco. He could regale you with sports statistics straight from his complete set of 1971 Topps baseball cards or tell you about the perfect game pitched by Randy Johnson that he witnessed in 2004 at Turner Field. He could conquer a jigsaw puzzle on the first day of vacation, solve math in his head at the drop of a hat, and sing every lyric from the Broadway musical, “Oklahoma.”

William Arthur Dick, Jr. was preceded in death by his father, William Arthur Dick. He is survived by his wife, Melissa (Hambrick) Dick; sons Sean Dick and Seth Dick; mother Carol (Bob) Boelter; and brothers Robert (Cari) Dick and Steven (Heather McCleskey) Dick. The family would especially like to thank the team at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, the doctors, nurses and care partners on the 14th floor at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Alive Hospice, and the staff at the former Bruegger’s Bagels on Harding Pike.

A private family graveside service will be held at Harpeth Hills Memorial Gardens on May 29, followed on May 30 by a Celebration of Life and visitation that is open to friends and family, with specific details to come. On Bill’s behalf, the family requests that guests wear black and gold and Vanderbilt gear to the event, which will include words—potentially including “Anchor Down”—from Rev. Dr. Mary Beth Bernheisel.

To honor Bill’s legacy, a fund for educational costs has been created to support their sons. Donations can be made to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoringbilldick