Dean A. Frantsvog

Dean A. Frantsvog, 47, Minot, ND, died peacefully in his home Saturday, August 27, 2022, after a courageous battle with cancer.
Dean was born November 5, 1974, in Minot, North Dakota, to Robert and Sandra (Hoffer) Frantsvog. He was raised and educated in Minot, graduating in 1993 from Minot High School. He continued his schooling at Minot State University earning his bachelor s in criminal justice in 1997. He went on to attain his Juris Doctorate at Hamline University School of Law in 2000.
He met Sara Christianson at MSU in the late 1990 s. She and a few co-conspirators would beg him to print off a few extra copies of computer assignments that they struggled with, and he happily obliged. Dean and Sara found themselves in a summer golf class together and were partners at the Minot Country Club hitting balls on the range. While Dean claims Sara was always after him from the beginning they reconnected again in 1999 while he attended law school in St. Paul, and she worked as a registered nurse at Mayo Hospital in Rochester. This time, Sara couldn t resist his charm and handsomeness. They moved back to Minot and were married on October 21, 2000.
Dean began his law career in Minot with Olson, Burns and Lee, P.C. In 2002, Dean felt a calling for public service. He was elected to the Minot City Council as the youngest alderman at that time (age 27) where he served the people of Minot for 15 years, four of those as president of the council. In 2004, a teaching opportunity at MSU became available and Dean jumped at this chance. He taught all the business law classes until he resigned in 2022 due to his poor health. He maintained the position of the MSU Faculty Athletic Representative from 2010 - 2022 as well. Dean had BIG dreams and always worked hard to achieve them. One of these aspirations was to own his own law firm. Frantsvog Law, P.C. came into inception in 2004, specializing in consulting to business and financial institutions.
Dean attained many accomplishments and accolades in his personal and professional life. Most noteworthy include: the Vision 2013 Merit Award, The MSU Golden Award for Young Alumni, The MSU Board of Regents Faculty Achievement Award, U.S. Supreme Court Attorney licensure, the MSU Professor of the Year Award and the Community Service Award from the State Bar Association of N.D. In 2018, he took great pride in contributing to the Dean Frantsvog Academic Success Center in the MSU Dome. Most recently, he was surprised and humbled with a membership to the 2022 MSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Of all of Dean s achievements, his greatest pride and joy were his children, Quaid and Cambry. He always put them first, never missing a program, a game, or a chance to just hang with them. He often said to Sara How did we get so lucky to have the BEST kids His face would light up just talking about them. And while Dean was a social butterfly and rarely missed an opportunity to hang with his buddies, his family always mattered the most. He would embrace any opportunity to be with his family because it meant a lot of love with a whole bunch of laughter.
Dean provided the greatest life for his family. They had many amazing vacations across the U.S. usually including some sort of professional sporting event, weekends at the lake, or just being together at home. Often this family time would lead to belly laughs and pure silliness that will never be forgotten. Don t forget, Dean IS TikTok famous!
Dean will be remembered as a faithful man, passionate professor, a loyal family member, an amazing friend, and an irreplaceable husband and father. He will always be known for his big smile, bigger laugh, generosity of time and money, and good practical jokes. His favorite time of year was hosting the MSU Gala so he could roast all his colleagues and friends for the amusement of others! He cherished the time he had with the ones he loved and never felt sorry that life had dealt him an impossibly tough hand. He loved his hometown and worked diligently to make it a better place. His blood ran red and green for the MSU Beavers, and you could find him at most sporting events cheering loudly for the student athletes.
Dean is survived by his wife of 21 years, Sara, Minot: children, Quaid and Cambry, Minot; brothers, Travis (Ginger) Fargo, and David Frantsvog (Shanda), Minot; sister, Becky Lee (Terry), Minot; mother-in-law, Karen Christianson, Minot; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Kim and Doug Tiedman, Minot, Chad and Stacy Christianson, Halstad, MN; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.
Meeting Dean in heaven are his parents, Bob and Sandy Frantsvog; brother, Robert Frantsvog Jr., father-in-law, Dennis Christianson; paternal grandparents, Engvold and Ida Frantsvog; maternal grandparents, Arnold and Bertha Hoffer; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Celebration of Dean s life: Friday, September 2, 2022, at 10:00 am at the Minot State University Dome.
Visitation: Thursday from 5 to 7 pm at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot. At Dean s request, his casket will be closed.
Interment: at Rosehill Memorial Park, Minot.
In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials are preferred to the Minot State University Development Foundation.
The service will be livestreamed by Minot State University for the public to view and can be accessed by going to https://nsicnetwork.com/msubeavers/?B=421179