Our Story
We have years of experience caring for families, from all walks of life. Each family comes to us because they know we are leaders in our profession, dedicated to excellence in service, and have the highest integrity.
The Humble Beginning
On August 15, 1971, at the early age of sixteen, Anthony A. Dicks, Sr. began his career in funeral service at Jackson-Brooks Funeral Home, Inc., Aiken, South Carolina. This was a result of the awesome consistent impression of the professional care and compassion the Dicks family had come to expect from Robert A. Brooks, Jr. and his family.
After moving to Columbia, South Carolina he gained employment with the Palmer Memorial Chapel of Columbia where he served as an apprentice funeral director and embalmer. While serving in these capacities, he matriculated Benedict College and earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration and economics - May of 1988. In September of 1988, Mr. Dicks commenced his educational studies in funeral service and embalming at the Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, Georgia. While at Gupton-Jones College, his leadership led his classmates to elect him Class President. He earned an associates degree in funeral service from Gupton-Jones and became national board certified. After becoming a licensed funeral director and embalmer, Anthony resumed his full-time employment with the Palmer Memorial Chapel of Columbia until September 1999.
In March 2000, Anthony purchased the Sullivan Funeral Home 1206 Oak Street in The Historic Waverly Community of Columbia and renamed it, A. A. Dicks Funeral Home Sullivan Chapel. In 2006 land was purchased which is now the Promised Land Cemetery at 1740 Cushman Drive.
In July 2010, he and his family renovated the old Krispy Kreme Donut building at 2548 Main Street, Columbia which is now the home of A. A. Dicks Funeral Home. During his career, Anthony has gained extensive experience in the art of funeral directing and embalming in general and restoration and anatomical reconstruction in particular.
Mr. Dicks' objective is to help the grieving return to a sustained degree of normalcy after the loss of a loved one. Thus, for him funeral service is "The Ministry of Comfort".
Our Valued Staff
Mr. Anthony A. Dicks, Sr., Funeral Director/Embalmer
His philosophy in life is "I stand in a unique position to catch brief glimpses of peoples lives". Anthony A. Dicks, Sr. has fifty plus years of funeral service experience with a concentration in mortuary and post mortem facial restoration. He has over forty-two years of pastoral and civic community service.. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Economics from Benedict College, Associate of Science Degree in Funeral Service and Embalming from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service, National Board Certified. Pastor of the Friendship Baptist Church of Columbia, South Carolina. Married to Denise J. Dicks, Father of four: Shiquita D. West and her husband, Nakia West, Pastor A. A. Dicks, Jr. and his wife, Miriam, Minister Ranecci S. Hampton and her husband, Johnathan Hampton, Maisha S. Wilder and her husband, Kenneth Wilder. Grandfather of eleven: Nakia, Jr. Katera, Khalia, Anthony, III, Devin, Kennedy, Kaiden, Desiree, Johnathan, Jr., Micah, and Maverick.