John E. Dean

John Edward Jack Dean, 88, of Mt. Pleasant passed away peacefully at the Hampton Virginia Veterans Hospital on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004, with his family at his side. A memorial Mass will be held at 12:00 noon, Saturday, March 6, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Robert Byrne presiding. Interment of his ashes will be in Calvary Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Lux Funeral Home on Friday from 6-8 p.m. with a vigil service beginning at 7:00 p.m. Visitation continues at the church on Saturday from 11 a.m. until the Mass begins. Jack was born July 11, 1915, in Merrill, the son of Edward and Mary Dean. He graduated in 1932 from Midland High School and continued on to the Midland County Normal School where he received a teaching certificate and taught in the Bullock Creek School District for several years. On Aug. 31, 1940, he married Ruth Crowley at St. Brigid Catholic Church in Midland. He then worked at the Midland Post Office until joining the U.S. Navy in 1943, during World War II. Jack was stationed in the Pacific Theater on the island of Guam and faithfully served his country with honor until 1946. Upon returning from active duty Jack received his Bachelor of Science degree at Wayne State University and also attended Law School in Detroit. He later did post graduate work at Central Michigan University. In the early 1950's Jack and his family moved to Mt. Pleasant where he joined the Arthur Skeats Accounting Firm. He worked in accounting for several years in the Mt. Pleasant area. Jack always loved teaching and eventually taught at Sacred Heart Academy. As an accomplished violinist, he would take his violin into the classroom, always encouraging budding musicians. Jack retired from teaching and began his own accounting service which he operated until he was 85. He was an active member of Sacred Heart Parish where he was a member of the choir for many years. He was also a member of the Elks Lodge, the Moose Club, the American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Music had always been a great part of Jacks life. He and his wife, Ruth, played piano and violin duets for patrons at the Doherty Hotel in Clare. Jack is survived by his daughter, Marianne and her husband, Daniel A. Raymond Jr. of Hampton, VA; granddaughter, Carrie Beth and her husband Christopher D. Baker; two great grandchildren, Nathan Christopher Baker and Ami Elizabeth Baker, all of Williamsburg, VA; his sister (and dear friend), Dorothy and her husband, Robert Sweeney of Mt. Pleasant; his brother, Joseph Dean and his wife, Marge of Long Island, NY; his sister-in-law, Grace Dean of Merrill; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Ruth; two sisters, Mary Engle and Isabel Catlett; and two brothers, Albert Dean and Richard Dean. Memorial contributions in Mr. Deans honor may be made to the Isabella County Commission on Aging (3480 S. Isabella Rd., Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858) or to Sacred Heart Academy Foundation (P.O. Box 522, Mt. Pleasant MI 48804-0522). Envelopes are available at Lux Funeral Home. The family wishes to thank Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sweeney and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Dean for their love, support, and care of Jack. You gave him the ability to live life as he wished in his own home. They also would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Clair Lapham for their constant love and prayers, while caring for Jack and his beloved wife, Ruth, when they were sick. Other thanks to the Commission on Aging and ICTC for the countless hours of assistance that you provided their loved one. May God bless you.