Dean was born May 5, 1931, in La Grande. He graduated from Prineville High School, and served in the Air Force during the Korean War. Dean worked in sales and management most of his life, including many years at The Ridge in Lake Tahoe. He loved the outdoors, fishing, and the Oregon Ducks. He married Judith (Julie) Doe on November 15, 1980.
Dean is survived by his wife of 39 years; daughter, Deanna Doe Caster (Dennis) of Cottonwood, AZ; son, Pat Ficek of Eugene; stepsons, Stephen Christiansen (Ann) of Damascus; Michael Christiansen (Kim) of Oregon City; and Paul Christiansen (Suzanne) of Sandy, UT; cousins, Jackie Rapp of Prairie City; and Linda Gobin of Hermiston; and grandchildren, Elizabeth, Michael, Annie, Claire, Riley, Jack, Estri and Kili.
Dean was a proud Oregonian, Air Force veteran, and member of the American Legion. He was loved very much by his family – especially his grandchildren, whom he loved to take camping and fishing.
A funeral service for Dean will be held on Friday, September 27th at 2:30 pm, at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. A gathering to honor Dean will be held Saturday, September 28th from noon to 4pm, at Eldorado Villas, 17055 SW Eldorado Drive, Tigard, Oregon 97224. Family and friends are invited to attend both. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dean’s name to ALS research or to the VA Fisher House in Vancouver.
