Dr. Dean B. Roberts, age 78 of Brentwood, TN passed away on August 20, 2016 at home. He was born on July 12, 1938 in Paris, Missouri to the late Rev. G. Harold Roberts and Ruth Breckenridge Roberts. Dean graduated from Atchison High School in Atchison, Kansas in 1956. He attended Northwest Missouri State University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in 1961 and Master's Degree in 1968. He graduated from Kansas University in 1974, earning his Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, and was an avid Jayhawks fan for the rest of his life. Dean began his career as an educator in the junior high school in Conway, Iowa, and went on to teach at Bedford High School and Shawnee Heights High School in Topeka, Kansas, where he also coached basketball. While working on his doctorate at KU, he taught and supervised student teachers. He arrived at Tennessee State University in the fall of 1974 as an associate professor. During his entire tenure at TSU he was dedicated to his students. While tough but fair in the classroom, he was always a champion for any student who walked through the door. It was well known on campus…”If you have a problem, go see Dr. Roberts” and he touched the lives of many students. Dean had a large repertoire of jokes and stories and he loved to make people laugh. No one could tell a better story. He often wrote “limericks” and left them on his colleagues’ answering machines. After 32 years of service, he retired from Tennessee State University where he served as Professor, Department Head, and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs. He was so proud of his family and adored his grandchildren, who were his “pride and joy”. In addition to his wife of 53 years, Mary Lou Roberts; he is survived by daughter, Stephanie (John) Hull; son, Breck (Elaine) Roberts; grandchildren, Jessica, J.R. & Jacob Hull and Jordan & Ridge Roberts; brother, David (Nancy) Roberts and special family, Lynette (Nate) Hicks and Allegra, Nigel & Aiden Hicks. Funeral services will be conducted at 1:00 PM on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home, Jim Taylor officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in the name of Dean B. Roberts to Tennessee State University Foundation supporting the College of Education, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Campus Box 9542, Nashville, TN 37209. Visitation will be 11:00 AM until service time on Saturday at WILLIAMSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME, 615 794-2289. www.williamsonmemorial.com