Dean Linderman

Dean Linderman came into this world on July 24, 1943, in Buffalo, New York. He grew up in the nearby community of Batavia with his parents, both of whom were physicians, as well as his brother, Jay Linderman, and his sister, June Linderman (Britt). Dean fell in love with the land at an early age, earning extra money by caring for his neighbors’ farms and their animals. His other childhood passion was basketball, and he helped lead his high school team to a state championship nurturing a life-long appreciation for sports.

In 1961, he enrolled at the University of Vermont where he majored in physics and math and was part of the ROTC program. While at UVM, he met Linda Prentiss (Linderman), to whom he was married for 42 years, and together they raised two daughters, Tricia Linderman, who now resides in Dallas, and Amy Dodson, whom they lost to cancer in 2017. Dean was the ultimate girl dad, and he considered many of Tricia and Amy’s closest friends as his chosen daughters.

Dean proudly served his country in the United States Army and was part of the 101st Airborne Division known as the “Screaming Eagles.” He also endured a yearlong tour of duty in Vietnam, where he was promoted to Captain. Building a respected platoon amid adversity was the foundation for his leadership training, and one of his favorite sayings, which was often repeated as a parent, was “you learn more from the difficult times than you do from the good ones.”

While teaching military science at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, a chance meeting with a recruiter would lead him to EDS where he served on the Leadership Council and helped to grow the company from the small, privately held firm that Ross Perot started into a global technology powerhouse. He treasured his experiences and the people at EDS and counted his advocacy for women leaders throughout his organization as one of his greatest professional achievements.

He retired to Northern Virginia where a love of the land was rekindled, and he created a 40-acre private arboretum in the countryside featuring unique trees from around the world. He often said he felt most at peace when he was sitting outside under a beautiful oak tree. He also spent many years in Virginia’s Northern Neck area where he enjoyed life in an idyllic waterside community with his partner, Linda Menzer, who passed away after a long illness.

In 2021, Dean returned to Dallas to be closer to Tricia, as well as Amy’s family, Scott, Cooper, and Kendall Dodson. He also found a wonderful new community of friends at Edgemere Senior Living, including a very special relationship with Susan Rolfe, who steadfastly stayed by his side throughout his short and valiant battle with cancer.

A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.at Edgemere, which is located at 8523 Thackery Street Dallas, TX 75225. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the U.S. Forest Service’s Plant A Tree Program by visiting plantatree.fs.usda.gov.