Albert Dean Arnold

Albert Dean Arnold took his first breath 95 years ago on an icy morning in Possum Trot, a small farming community near Palmyra, Illinois, in the west-central part of the state.

He lived a full and adventurous life before passing away March 20, 2026, in Crystal River, Florida. Known to all as Dean, he possessed an extraordinary memory and a gift for storytelling, even writing his own autobiography in his 80s.

Dean was born Feb. 7, 1931, though winter weather delayed the filing of his birth certificate until the following day, causing years of confusion about his true birthdate.

He grew up on farms, one of nine children - six sisters and two brothers - in a family that moved frequently as his parents searched for work during the Great Depression. Much of his youth was spent working: cutting and stacking wood for sale and helping in his uncle's blacksmith shop. For fun, he and his brother Ebert hunted and fished.

Dean enlisted in the Navy in September 1951 and served until September 1955.

During his service, he traveled to Hawaii and Japan, where he was stationed aboard the USS Saint Paul as a gunner.

After his discharge, he met Nell, who would become his first wife and the mother of his four children: Mike, Mark, Lisa and Eric.

Three years later, Dean earned a two-year degree in electronic technology from DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago. He went on to work in Palo Alto, California, for an audio and video recorder manufacturer, a job that led to work with a contractor in the space program. That opportunity brought him to Florida's Space Coast, where he served as a quality control chief at Cape Canaveral, working on launches to the moon. Later Dean began a long career in quality control for the construction of nuclear power plants. His expertise also took him to the New York City transit system and overseas to Saudi Arabia, where he worked as a quality control chief on oil wells and refinery.

He was an avid sports fan who followed the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Volunteers. He was also an accomplished golfer, regularly shooting in the 70s.

Dean was preceded in death by his sisters Helen, Dot, Elsie and Irene; his brothers Elbert and Harold; his son Eric; and his fourth wife, Frances.