Samuel Mairs Dean, 90, Cold Spring

December 3, 1924 – February 22, 2015

Born in Duluth, MN, to Albert Briggs and Helen (Mairs) Dean, the youngest of four children. The family moved to Minneapolis where he attended Breck School and West High School. After his service in the Army Air Corps in World War II, he graduated from the University of Minnesota.

His summers growing up were spent on Big Island at Lake Minnetonka where the family still gathers.

He served as pilot of a B24 Liberator Bomber in combat operations in the South Pacific. His crew recalled celebrating his twentieth birthday because they were no longer captained by a teenager!

September 15, 1951 he married Jeanne Roedell, a marriage that lasted 63 years. They produced four children, Samuel Jr., Jennifer, David and Peter, the latter two who died in infancy.

His love of Latin America and Graphic Arts led them to live in Mexico and Venezuela. His work took him to every country in Central and South America. He was well respected by his colleagues on that continent including the major newspapers.

Upon returning to the United States they lived in the Chicago area and many years in Westchester and Orange counties in New York where they renovated a number of beautiful pre-revolutionary war homes.

His sports were tennis and swimming at which he excelled.

He will be remembered for his sense of humor, love of family and care, compassion and generosity towards so many people from all walks of life.

Survived by his wife, Jeanne; son, Samuel Jr. (Janice); daughter, Jennifer (Jim) Dwyer; grandchildren, Emeric James (Mandy Ressler) Dwyer, Erin Jeanne (Lane) Trisko, Lauren Rita Dwyer, John Samuel Dwyer; great-grandson, Oliver James Trisko, and many dear friends around the world.

A memorial gathering will be held at Wenner Funeral Home, Cold Spring, on Saturday, March 7th from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. with a remembrance service at 5:00 p.m.