David Charles Dean

1961 - 2021

David Charles Dean, 60, of Stevensville passed away on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, at his residence.

A celebration of life service will be at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3, at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph, with Pastor Tom Bird officiating. Friends can visit with the family two hours prior to the service at the funeral home. A private burial will be held at a later date.

Memorial contributions can be made to Make-A-Wish Michigan, 7600 Grand River Ave., Suite 175, Brighton, MI 48114.

To leave an online condolence, visit www.starks-menchinger.com.

David was born on June 18, 1961, in Benton Harbor, to James and Carol (Ward) Dean.

He graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1979. He continued his education at Lake Michigan College, and became a board-certified optician. David began his career as an optician in 1982, in Benton Harbor, and continued his work through Southwest Michigan until he retired in 2018.

While attending Lake Michigan College, David enjoyed studying journalism and wrote articles for the Lake Michigan College newspaper. After he retired, he realized he wasn't quite ready to leave the workforce, and began employment at JVIS Manufacturing in Benton Harbor, where he worked and became a team leader up until his passing.

David loved playing golf, he started playing around age 7 with his dad and earned his varsity letter in high school for golf. David played for nearly 15 years on the Tuesday Night Men's League at Pipestone Creek Golf Course.

In addition to golf, David was a dedicated music fan. His love for music started in the boys chorus as a kid, and then found his love for Queen as a teenager. David stayed a Queen fanatic through his entire life, and was fortunate to see them live in concert a couple times. Following his love of music was his love for video games, watching NASCAR and IndyCar racing, building model cars and cooking.

David is survived by his children, Sarah (Benjamin) Sulka of Jackson, Mich., Rachel (Paul) Shaia of Cleveland, and Stephen (Taylor) Dean of Kalamazoo; grandsons, Jordan and Adam Shaia; brother, Kevin (Joyce Flickenger) Dean; and former spouse, Susan. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Carol.