Colene Dooley

January 3, 2017

Maury County native Colene Cates Dooley died Tuesday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center following open heart surgery. She was 72.

Managing broker for the Columbia Crye-Leike office for 20 years and currently serving as a special assistant to co-owner Harold Crye, Mrs. Dooley was actively involved in real estate in the Columbia and Middle Tennessee areas for more than 35 years, first owning her own real estate companies and then opening the local office of Crye-Leike. The Southern Middle Tennessee Association of Realtors awarded her the Realtor of the Year Award in 1998, the Pioneer Award in 2000 and the Career Achievement and Lifetime Membership Award in 2013.

Prior to her real estate career, Mrs. Dooley was an award-winning journalist and photographer with the Columbia Daily Herald and served as editor of the Mount Pleasant Record. She covered the community and focused attention on women victimized by domestic violence. As a result of her reporting, she became actively involved in raising funds through the Columbia Business and Professional Women’s organization to establish Hope House, a local women’s shelter. She also worked for more than 30 years behind the scenes to secure legal assistance, basic needs and job placement for women of all ages and situations. With the Business and Professional Women’s organization, she served as local and state president and served on national committees to promote women’s issues.

Mrs. Dooley served as past president of the Maury County Chamber of Commerce, founding trustee of Leadership Maury and chairperson of the Maury County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau. She was instrumental in creating the Maury County Economic Development Commission and in effecting the purchase and development of the Cherry Glen Business Park.

Her interests and talents also extended to historic preservation and tourism in Maury County. A member of the James K. Polk Association, Mrs. Dooley sat on the association’s advisory board and participated in numerous projects. The Maury County Benefit Ball Association profited from her 25 years of tireless work on committees, including publicity, photography, decorations, silent auctions and programs. While working on the invitation during the change from the Columbia Military Academy Ball to the Benefit Ball, Mrs. Dooley created the logo that is still used today. In 2013, the Benefit Ball awarded her the prestigious Lucille Queener Courtney Community Service Award.

She took great pride in the youth of the community, serving as a Scout den leader and fundraiser and coordinator for Project Graduation. She also assisted an Eagle Scout candidate whose project involved historic homes in Maury County, a source of pride and revenue to the county. Pairing her prior volunteer work with the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, her real estate talents and her desire to help, she provided information that brought the “Jewels of Maury County’’ into the 21st Century for visitors and residents to enjoy more readily.

Mrs. Dooley also served with the Maury County Clean Community organization and helped plan the annual Fourth of July celebration.

Health care was another of her special causes. She served as chapter president of the Friends of Monroe-Carrell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and a board member of the Mental Health Association, giving a hand up to numerous individuals and families in our community over the years. She was active in the local March of Dimes for more than 15 years, raising funds, chairing the Mothers’ March and working on the television and radio charity auction. A crowning achievement was her successful two-year campaign to nominate a local girl to serve as national poster child for the March of Dimes.

Mrs. Dooley is survived by her husband of more than 37 years, Jim Dooley, former Maury County Property Assessor, her son, Jim Cory Dooley, both of Columbia, a brother, Wayne Cates of Santa Fe, a niece, Kim Roach of Bon Aqua, and two nephews, Johnny Cates and Matthew Cates, both of Santa Fe. She was the daughter of the late Uriel Cornelius Cates and Gladys Elizabeth Kelley Cates of Santa Fe. She was Valedictorian of the 1962 Class at Santa Fe High School and was a member of the Bruce Strother Sunday School Class at First United Methodist Church in Columbia.

A celebration of life ceremony will be held Sunday at First United Methodist Church, with visitation at 1:30 p.m. and service to follow at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the James Cory Dooley Custodial Fund at any First Farmers and Merchants Bank. Heritage Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the family with arrangements. You may share condolences with the family on our website.