Dean M. Balice

Dean M. Balice, an international financial services professional with an extensive network of friends and colleagues in Chicago, throughout the country, and indeed the world, died on Thursday, July 9th as the result of heart failure. He was 71.

A native of Chesterland, Ohio, a suburb east of Cleveland, Dean moved to Chicago in 1974 and adopted the city with a passion. He thrived on the bustle of the city's urban energy and soaked up its vitality in all its forms. While at times traveling extensively for business, Dean often joked that he felt uncomfortable going beyond the city's limits. Reflecting his wry and at times sardonic wit, he would poke fun at himself by saying that he suffered from "bucolic plague" in the countryside. Dean's other adopted city was New Orleans, his "honky-tonk" town. He held a deep affection for his friends there and its music, cuisine, culture, and Mardi Gras. It was a point of pride when he became part of the krewe.

Dean earned a BA from Marietta College, majoring in philosophy and political economy. Ever the night owl, Dean became a campus celebrity deejaying on the campus radio station with a late-night program known as "Bedtime with Balice". A highlight of Dean's undergraduate years was spending his junior year studying at the University of Vienna in Austria in a program sponsored by the Institute for European Studies. Studying abroad was foundational for going on to earn a Master's degree in International Relations and Affairs from Ohio University and cemented his lifelong interest in global politics and economics.

Dean began his banking career with Union Commerce Bank in Cleveland, Ohio. His professional career blossomed when he moved to Chicago to accept a position with the French bank Crédit Lyonnais. After progressing through management positions at National Westminster Bank and Société Générale, Dean became Senior Vice President, Chicago Branch Manager and Head of the National Banking Group for the French bank, Crédit Agricole. While managing its Chicago office, Dean served on the boards of the Museum for Broadcast Communications and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

Dean left the banking industry to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities as an independent financial advisor for credit and merger and acquisition transactions. This phase of his career culminated by joining forces with Lois Scott to form Scott Balice Strategies. Together, they provided financial advice to state and local governments, augmented by a corporate advisory practice under Dean's direction. In 2011, Scott Balice Strategies was acquired by PFM Group based in Philadelphia. Afterwards, Dean formed The Balice Group to continue his work as a financial advisor.

Dean will be remembered for having a magnetic personality that made him the friend of many. Nothing gave him more pleasure than making connections among people in his extensive network. He took a strong interest in the careers of young people and offered advice and counsel as a mentor to those who worked for him. In addition to finance, he had keen interests in the fields of advertising, public relations, real estate, and the entertainment and restaurant industries. Dean had a passion for all varieties of music, but particularly jazz, and was often to be found at the Green Mill, the Jazz Showcase, Club Metro, Blues on Halsted or any of the other establishments offering music, particularly if they were open until the wee hours of the morning. Reflecting his wide-ranging tastes, he also looked forward to the Christmas season ushered in by the annual concert of the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii that he supported generously.

Dean loved baseball and became a diehard Cubs fan, with perennial seasons tickets and devotion rewarded by the 2016 World Series championship. Among other interests, Dean loved languages and poetry, particularly poets Theodore Roethke, Dylan Thomas, e.e. cummings, and Wallace Stevens, often enlivening conversations with passages from his favorite poems. Dean combined two of his passions-baseball and poetry-by being able to recite from memory the entirety of "Casey at the Bat".

Growing up in Cleveland, Dean was intrigued by the television show "Wild Kingdom", hosted by Marlon Perkins, sponsored by the Mutual of Omaha Company, and featuring Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo. As a Lincoln Park denizen, Dean took delight in having the Lincoln Park Zoo virtually at his doorstep, connecting his youthful ardor with an adult passion that led him to be an enthusiastic zoo sponsor.

Dean is survived by his loving family, sister Deanne Foresta, Willoughby OH; niece Paula Collins (Byron Roland), Pittsburgh PA; nephew Paul Foresta, Jr., Willoughby OH; great-niece Tierney Collins, Pittsburgh PA; and many friends. He was pre-deceased by his father, Dean D. Balice, and mother, Ann (Scafe) Balice, Chesterland and Willoughby OH, and his chère amie of 38 years, Lisa Anderson of Chicago IL.

No services are planned at this time. His many friends are discussing a celebration of life ceremony in Dean's honor. Charitable contributions in Dean's memory may be made to the Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614.