WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Those who knew Dimitrious Stanley, a former wide receiver for Ohio State, said he was all about his community and trying to make it better.
After Stanley, who was 48, died in February after a long battle with prostate cancer, his wife Jessica wanted a way to honor him and have his name live on. She filed a petition to rename an entry road to their neighborhood in honor of her husband.
“He was an amazing husband, an amazing father, amazing friend. Every walk of life that he was in he was the best of them all,” Jessica said. “There’s just no other Dimitrious. He’s irreplaceable.”
From his football years at The Ohio State University in the 90s, to his run for Columbus City Council in 2015, Dimitrious invested in his community and wanted to help improve it… something Delaware County Commissioner Barb Lewis admired about him
Lewis was thrilled about the petition, and when it made its way to the Delaware County Board of Commissioners for a vote, it passed unanimously.
“So many people knew Dimitrious and the great work that he did. So, we were so happy that he made his home in Delaware County,” said Lewis. “We wanted his memory and his good deeds known so people would remember him and what he stood for.”
On Saturday, Stanley’s friends and family, along with city and county officials, gathered around the former “Alpine Drive” and revealed the new signage for “Dimitrious Stanley Way.”
Dimitrious will now be remembered, not only as a loving husband, son, friend, and girl dad — he’ll also be remembered as a great community leader and neighbor.
Throughout his four-year battle with cancer, he still found a way to help others.
After being diagnosis, Dimitrious founded a nonprofit called Brave Men Inc. to help others diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Ryan Miller, a former Ohio State linebacker, said, “I think everyone’s going to remember him for some of the things he did on the field because he was such a good player, but most people will remember him for what he did off the field and his legacy with Brave Men Inc.”
Jessica says she will continue her husband’s mission of encouraging men to get prostate cancer screenings regularly. For more information about Brave Men Inc., visit their website.