All his life, Dean-O Hicks was drawn to big fish.
Dean-O Hicks Reef
Lee County commissioners Tuesday officially changed the name of the Causeway West Reef to the Dean Hicks Reef.
Hicks, who died in May at the age of 47, was a local fishing legend, complete with his own Saturday morning radio show, Reel Talk, on 770 AM. He ramrodded numerous benefit fishing tournaments, ignoring the cancer that ate away his own young life.
Wife Terri thanked commissioners for the legacy at Tuesday's meeting.
"This is quite an honor for all of us," she said. "It's giving friends and family and generations to come a place to drop a line and 'Catch Big Fish'."
That was the advice Dean-O offered over the radio and to his many fishing friends. Now, though Dean-O is gone, they can go to the Dean-O Reef and follow his advice.
But not yet. The Dean Hicks Reef isn't there yet.
"We expect to put Sanibel Causeway material out there as they continue demolishing the old bridge," said Steve Boutelle, who's in charge of the marine program for the county's natural resources department.
When the reef is there, it will be at 26 degrees, 22.199 minutes north, 82 degrees, 17.28 minutes west. That's 18 miles west/northwest at 250 degrees from the Sanibel Lighthouse.
Hicks' life ranged far and wide, from training Central American guerilla fighters to traveling with Jerry Jeff Walker. He owned Master Bait and Tackle in Bonita Springs, then Reels, Inc. in San Carlos Park.
With a peg leg and a shaggy beard, he fit the pirate image, but only in appearance. Quick to organize a charity tournament, he was helpful and generous to a fault. He refused to slow down in recent years even as his health deteriorated.
"He has to slow down," Terri told the Daily News a year ago. "But I don't know if he can. It's not in his nature."
He's resting now, like we all will eventually. At the Dean Hicks Reef.
Dean is survived by his wife Terry two children Clayton and Deanna Marie as well as his father Bruce Hicks, stepmother Florence Hicks, mother Kay Beaver and step father Gerald Beaver, sisters Debbie(Jim)Peters, Cathy(Dolan)Slump, Pam(Dale)Yagiela, Sally(Frank)Schafer, Mary Beth Lamb, and brother Don(Michelle)Hicks, and 29 nieces and nephews. Dean will be greatly missed by all but forgotten by none. They ask the fishing community to set a side a day a year to take a kid fishing in memory of Dean-O. Tight Lines Heavy Nets.
I went to High School with Dean, what a Honor to have a reef named after him!
Dean-O Hicks Reef
Lee County commissioners Tuesday officially changed the name of the Causeway West Reef to the Dean Hicks Reef.
Hicks, who died in May at the age of 47, was a local fishing legend, complete with his own Saturday morning radio show, Reel Talk, on 770 AM. He ramrodded numerous benefit fishing tournaments, ignoring the cancer that ate away his own young life.
Wife Terri thanked commissioners for the legacy at Tuesday's meeting.
"This is quite an honor for all of us," she said. "It's giving friends and family and generations to come a place to drop a line and 'Catch Big Fish'."
That was the advice Dean-O offered over the radio and to his many fishing friends. Now, though Dean-O is gone, they can go to the Dean-O Reef and follow his advice.
But not yet. The Dean Hicks Reef isn't there yet.
"We expect to put Sanibel Causeway material out there as they continue demolishing the old bridge," said Steve Boutelle, who's in charge of the marine program for the county's natural resources department.
When the reef is there, it will be at 26 degrees, 22.199 minutes north, 82 degrees, 17.28 minutes west. That's 18 miles west/northwest at 250 degrees from the Sanibel Lighthouse.
Hicks' life ranged far and wide, from training Central American guerilla fighters to traveling with Jerry Jeff Walker. He owned Master Bait and Tackle in Bonita Springs, then Reels, Inc. in San Carlos Park.
With a peg leg and a shaggy beard, he fit the pirate image, but only in appearance. Quick to organize a charity tournament, he was helpful and generous to a fault. He refused to slow down in recent years even as his health deteriorated.
"He has to slow down," Terri told the Daily News a year ago. "But I don't know if he can. It's not in his nature."
He's resting now, like we all will eventually. At the Dean Hicks Reef.
Dean is survived by his wife Terry two children Clayton and Deanna Marie as well as his father Bruce Hicks, stepmother Florence Hicks, mother Kay Beaver and step father Gerald Beaver, sisters Debbie(Jim)Peters, Cathy(Dolan)Slump, Pam(Dale)Yagiela, Sally(Frank)Schafer, Mary Beth Lamb, and brother Don(Michelle)Hicks, and 29 nieces and nephews. Dean will be greatly missed by all but forgotten by none. They ask the fishing community to set a side a day a year to take a kid fishing in memory of Dean-O. Tight Lines Heavy Nets.
I went to High School with Dean, what a Honor to have a reef named after him!
All his life, Dean-O Hicks was drawn to big fish.
Dean-O Hicks Reef
Lee County commissioners Tuesday officially changed the name of the Causeway West Reef to the Dean Hicks Reef.
Hicks, who died in May at the age of 47, was a local fishing legend, complete with his own Saturday morning radio show, Reel Talk, on 770 AM. He ramrodded numerous benefit fishing tournaments, ignoring the cancer that ate away his own young life.
Wife Terri thanked commissioners for the legacy at Tuesday's meeting.
"This is quite an honor for all of us," she said. "It's giving friends and family and generations to come a place to drop a line and 'Catch Big Fish'."
That was the advice Dean-O offered over the radio and to his many fishing friends. Now, though Dean-O is gone, they can go to the Dean-O Reef and follow his advice.
But not yet. The Dean Hicks Reef isn't there yet.
"We expect to put Sanibel Causeway material out there as they continue demolishing the old bridge," said Steve Boutelle, who's in charge of the marine program for the county's natural resources department.
When the reef is there, it will be at 26 degrees, 22.199 minutes north, 82 degrees, 17.28 minutes west. That's 18 miles west/northwest at 250 degrees from the Sanibel Lighthouse.
Hicks' life ranged far and wide, from training Central American guerilla fighters to traveling with Jerry Jeff Walker. He owned Master Bait and Tackle in Bonita Springs, then Reels, Inc. in San Carlos Park.
With a peg leg and a shaggy beard, he fit the pirate image, but only in appearance. Quick to organize a charity tournament, he was helpful and generous to a fault. He refused to slow down in recent years even as his health deteriorated.
"He has to slow down," Terri told the Daily News a year ago. "But I don't know if he can. It's not in his nature."
He's resting now, like we all will eventually. At the Dean Hicks Reef.
Dean is survived by his wife Terry two children Clayton and Deanna Marie as well as his father Bruce Hicks, stepmother Florence Hicks, mother Kay Beaver and step father Gerald Beaver, sisters Debbie(Jim)Peters, Cathy(Dolan)Slump, Pam(Dale)Yagiela, Sally(Frank)Schafer, Mary Beth Lamb, and brother Don(Michelle)Hicks, and 29 nieces and nephews. Dean will be greatly missed by all but forgotten by none. They ask the fishing community to set a side a day a year to take a kid fishing in memory of Dean-O. Tight Lines Heavy Nets.
I went to High School with Dean, what a Honor to have a reef named after him!
Dean-O Hicks Reef
Lee County commissioners Tuesday officially changed the name of the Causeway West Reef to the Dean Hicks Reef.
Hicks, who died in May at the age of 47, was a local fishing legend, complete with his own Saturday morning radio show, Reel Talk, on 770 AM. He ramrodded numerous benefit fishing tournaments, ignoring the cancer that ate away his own young life.
Wife Terri thanked commissioners for the legacy at Tuesday's meeting.
"This is quite an honor for all of us," she said. "It's giving friends and family and generations to come a place to drop a line and 'Catch Big Fish'."
That was the advice Dean-O offered over the radio and to his many fishing friends. Now, though Dean-O is gone, they can go to the Dean-O Reef and follow his advice.
But not yet. The Dean Hicks Reef isn't there yet.
"We expect to put Sanibel Causeway material out there as they continue demolishing the old bridge," said Steve Boutelle, who's in charge of the marine program for the county's natural resources department.
When the reef is there, it will be at 26 degrees, 22.199 minutes north, 82 degrees, 17.28 minutes west. That's 18 miles west/northwest at 250 degrees from the Sanibel Lighthouse.
Hicks' life ranged far and wide, from training Central American guerilla fighters to traveling with Jerry Jeff Walker. He owned Master Bait and Tackle in Bonita Springs, then Reels, Inc. in San Carlos Park.
With a peg leg and a shaggy beard, he fit the pirate image, but only in appearance. Quick to organize a charity tournament, he was helpful and generous to a fault. He refused to slow down in recent years even as his health deteriorated.
"He has to slow down," Terri told the Daily News a year ago. "But I don't know if he can. It's not in his nature."
He's resting now, like we all will eventually. At the Dean Hicks Reef.
Dean is survived by his wife Terry two children Clayton and Deanna Marie as well as his father Bruce Hicks, stepmother Florence Hicks, mother Kay Beaver and step father Gerald Beaver, sisters Debbie(Jim)Peters, Cathy(Dolan)Slump, Pam(Dale)Yagiela, Sally(Frank)Schafer, Mary Beth Lamb, and brother Don(Michelle)Hicks, and 29 nieces and nephews. Dean will be greatly missed by all but forgotten by none. They ask the fishing community to set a side a day a year to take a kid fishing in memory of Dean-O. Tight Lines Heavy Nets.
I went to High School with Dean, what a Honor to have a reef named after him!
