Richard Dean Colin

1938 - 2010

Richard Dean Colin went to be with his Lord at age 72 on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010 at his home in Camarillo.

Dean was born May 25, 1938 in Steubenville, Ohio, to Ray and Mary Colin. Dean was educated as a civil engineer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. He enjoyed a long and satisfying career and was a respected and valued businessman in Los Angeles for many years. He loved music, especially jazz, and was a talented trumpet player. He considered a career in music in his younger years but decided it was not the life for him. Dean was a proud Navy veteran and served on the USS Arneb (AKA-56). He served all over the world, including Antarctica, where he was stationed for a time to support Operation Deep Freeze.

Dean had a special bond with horses and rode, trained and raised paint horses at one time in his life. He enjoyed western riding, including cutting and roping and the challenge of dressage. He also served as a Mounted Sheriffs deputy in the Santa Clarita area for a time. Dean always loved the ocean and in his later years, with his wife Karen, learned to sail on their sailboat Windancer. Many happy weekends were spent out at sea, where Dean seemed to be at his most content. He was surrounded by his loved ones at his time of passing, his wife Karen and her sister Marsha and his daughter Kelly were by his side.

He is survived by his wife, Karen; his children, Kevin Colin and wife Lansie of North Carolina, Kelly Anderson of North Carolina, Sean Colin and wife Melissa of Utah; stepson, Ronald Graves of Olympia, Wash.; and his brother, David Colin, and sister-in-law, Dana of Agua Dulce, Calif. Survivors also include his stepdaughter, Erin Smith; son-in-law, William Smith; and grandchildren, Justine, Jackson and Veronica of Northridge, Calif. Also included are his sister-in-law, Marsha Koeller; brother-in-law, Jeffrey Koeller; and mother-in-law and father-in-law, Claire and Fred Koeller of Manhattan Beach, Calif. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Mary Colin; and by his youngest brother, Robert Dana Colin, who was killed in The World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

His strong, soft-spoken presence, quiet dignity, fearless sense of adventure, tender and loyal heart and deep love for his family and friends will be greatly missed. Assisting the family with funeral arrangements is Perez Family Funeral Home, 983-3457. Please sign our guestbook at www.camarillomortuary.com.