Dean Wakefield

Dean was given the gift of music which he loved to share by playing in the lobby of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and making CD's to give away. He taught band in the Anaheim School District in California for many years and was very successful with his South Junior High and Katella High Bands winning many competitions. He also taught Band in Bountiful High School and Wasatch Jr. High.
He was always hard working and had many kinds of work experiences which got him through his education and supplemented his teaching career-delivering newspapers, milkman, carpenter on the Disneyland Bear Theater to name a few.
Dean was very organized and "traveled light." He had very few possessions or clothes but lots of neckties-beautiful and humorous. He never kept anything that wasn't worthy of keeping-books, music, movies. He loved reading. Especially he loved reading The Book of Mormon-always several chapters each day. He knew a lot about literature, composers, and the old movies, which he loved to share. He was an usher at the Southeast Theater in Sugarhouse when he was in his teens.
He graduated from the University of Utah where he received his bachelor and master degree, almost completing his doctorate in composing and arranging music. He was very close to his professor Leroy Robertson who he looked upon as a father figure.
He was artistic and learned to use the computer to create his own CD album booklets. He was an avid Journal keeper and always kept it up to date with his very interesting life. It is bound in four volumes and copied on to CD's for his posterity. . He loved to take pictures sharing them with people and putting them in his journal.
He loved to grow roses and had many kinds in his yard on Melbourne Street and other homes.
He had a great sense of humor and he loved to make Pat laugh every day.
One of his greatest joys was working in the Salt Lake Temple for about 37 years. He had a very close relationship to his Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ and loved serving them. He went on a three year mission to Uruguay as a young man, served in the temple translation department, served as a host in the Welfare Square Dairy, and went on a two year mission to the Spain Madrid Temple with his wife Pat.
He loved spaghetti and salad at Olive Garden (where many of the employees were like family). He and Pat would go there every Friday after attending an early session in the Jordan River Temple after his health made it hard to give full service in the Salt Lake Temple.
Family get togethers with Pat's family as well as his and Christmas were always important to him. He loved his families and grieved at not being able to be close to all of them. The first: Peggy, James, Sally, Ron, and Wendy. The second: Melody, Calleane, Mark, and Michael. However, he found peace with Pat.
Dean never really knew his father, William Ole Harris, so when he entered the Coast Guard he had his surname legally changed to Wakefield and considered himself the son of his mother's first husband, George Fleming Wakefield who did visit him on occasion and said that he wished Dean was his son. His mother was Ellen Olena Petersen--better known as Ella Wakefield.
Dean was born May 3, 1928 in Salt Lake City and passed away May 19, 2016 In Aspen Ridge West Transitional Rehab, Murray, where he was lovingly cared for while suffering terribly with pneumonia. He was very childlike and humble while enduring this last illness, never complaining but trying hard to recover for Pat. He will be buried in Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park not too far from where his mother, Ella Wakefield, and brother, Dwight, and one sister, Fay Brophy, and beloved nephew Ronald Long and other relatives are.

A funeral will be held on May 24, 2016 at 11:00 am at the Cottonwood 2nd Ward building, 2080 E 5165 S (Donelson Lane), with a viewing to be held from 10:00-10:45am.

Children:

Peggy Lynn Richards, married to David Taylor Richards
James Lowell Wakefield
Sally Ann Arnason, married to Anthony David Arnason
Ronald Dwight Wakefield
Wendy Lee Jepsen, married to Christopher Michael Jepsen
Melody Erin Ramos, married to Seth Ramos
Calleane Michelle Wakefield
Mark Stephen Wakefield
Michael Spencer Wakefield

Grandchildren:

James Dean Wakefield
Aaron Scott Barrus, married to CarrieAnne Barrus (Peg's stepson)
David Fleming Wakefield, married to Jessica Harcrow Wakefield
Matthew Kent Barrus, married to Elise Barrus
Jared Emery Barrus, married to Jessica Woodbury Barrus
Anika Marie Tauai, married to Ielu Iosua Tauai
Jessica Jean Wakefield Taft, married to Adam Taft
Rebecca Lee Wakefield
David Michael Wakefield
Shanti Howell Sheppard
Anami Joy Blaylock, married to Joe Blaylock
Christopher Michael Jepsen
Timothy Daniel Jepsen
Brookelyn Dansie Wakefield
Melody has 3 kids, but I'm waiting on names!




Great Grandchildren:

Tessa Cosette Barrus (Peggy's step granddaughter)
Alysson Rose Wakefield
Kasey Lynn Wakefield
Steven Kimball Wakefield
Olyvia Gene Wakefield
Christopher Ammon Frutos (Jared's stepson)
Elizabeth Zion Frutos (Jared's stepdaughter)
Aidan Ioane Tauai
Elena Sanita Tauai
Norena Jordan Taft
Ernest Abram Taft
Issac Oliver Taft
Addison Elijah Taft
Kaissen Andrew Jepsen

Former Spouses:

Bonnie Joia Hodgson Roddy (Mother of his first family)
Nan Densley (Mother of his second family)