Gerald E. Dean, 80
Gerald E. “Jerry” Dean was born January 22, 1934, in Sedwick County, Kansas to Otis and Elsie Dean. He passed away June 26, 2014, at his home in Kalispell.
Jerry grew up in Kansas, graduating from Mount Hope High in 1951. After graduation, he traveled with a custom combine crew across the Midwest from Oklahoma to Canada. He decided to stay in Geraldine and worked as a carpenter helper on the school there before enlisting in the Air Force in 1953.
He was selected to join the pilot training program but with the end of the Korean conflict the program was canceled and he finished his enlistment at the radar base in Havre. There he met his wife Shirley Sooy. They would have celebrated their 58th anniversary in September. Jerry attended Northern Montana College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial arts education in 1960.
He began his teaching career in Libby and went on to earn a National Defense Scholarship, which enabled him to pack up his wife and five children and move to Tuscaloosa, Ala. He earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Alabama, while there their sixth child was born. He spent 33 years in the Libby Public Schools system, the majority as a principal. While he enjoyed his time at the junior high level, his true passion was found at McGrade Elementary. Administrating with hugs and smiles, he left a lasting mark on the staff, children and parents who he served.
He was a driving force in establishing the community park next to the school, and upon retiring he was honored in having the park dedicated the “Jerry Dean Park.”
At the encouragement of his father-in-law, Jerry and Shirley made the most of their retirement years by traveling, fishing, camping and spending time with family and friends in Yuma, Ariz., Libby and Kalispell.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, sister Iris Cole and brother Donald Dean.
He is survived by his wife Shirley, who lovingly cared for him since his first stroke in 2009; six children and their spouses Denise and Orville King of Libby, David and Lori Dean of Shelton, Wash, Dan and Barb Dean of Missoula, Darrelyn Miller of Montesano, Wash, Dana and Stacy Dobson, and Delane and Eric Duffy of Kalispell; two sisters Mary Kay Graber and Bonnie Valios; three brothers William, Merlin and Ronald Dean; half-sister Norma Beardsley; 18 grandchildren; and 10 great grandchildren.
Services were held July 3 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Libby. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to be made to the charity of their choice. A special thanks goes out to Home Options Hospice for their compassionate care and support.