Services for William Edward Dean, 82, of Emory, were held on July 14, at Lone Oak Assembly of God. Interment was held on July 16 at Fairview Cemetery in Fairview, Oklahoma.
Mr. Dean died on July 8, 2025. He was born January 24, 1943, in Vancouver, Washington, where his father was stationed in the Army.
He lived several places throughout the United States with his parents before settling in Midland, in 1954. At the age of 9, Bill made the decision to spend his life for God and enjoyed sharing God’s love with others. He graduated from Midland High School in 1962. He found a job driving a dynamite truck for a seismograph company without a driver’s license or his mother’s knowledge.
He attended Southwestern Assembly of God College in the fall of 1962. During his first semester he met a red headed young lady who captured his attention and he and Carol were married on August 24, 1963.
In October of 1966, he was drafted into the United States Army where he served two years at Fort Carson, Colorado. He was honorably discharged in 1968. After the Army, he went back to a previous employer, Texas Instruments, and crisscrossed the United States, Canada and Newfoundland as a truck driver. He received awards for his safety driving over one million miles accident free. He retired after being with Texas Instruments for 30 years.
Mr. Dean went on numerous mission trips to the Navajo and Hopi Tribes in New Mexico, as well as serving as a missionary to Mexico and several Central American countries. His commercial pilot’s license gave him the opportunity to be a missionary pilot.
In 1974, he and Carol welcomed Becky into their family and in 1976, Christy was born. He loved being a father to his two little girls.
After he retired, he spent his time taking his girls and grandchildren on trips and on August 24, 2024, he and Carol celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary.
Mr. Dean is survived by his loving wife; daughters, Becky Dean, and Christy Barnes and husband Jeremy; three grandchildren, Dalton, Devin and Emily and his brother-in-law, John Gosney Jr.
He was preceded in death by his parents, G.L. and Velma Dean.