Dean Gordon Melquist

Dean Gordon Melquist was called home on January 12th, 2014. He was surrounded by the love and comfort of his family, friends, and caring nursing home staff. Dean was born on May 6, 1932 to Laura Plummer Melquist and Benjamin Melquist in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He was the eldest of three children and was raised in Idaho Falls. He attended Idaho State College before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1951. He served during the Korean War, working as an electronics technician, and was discharged in 1955. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1960 with a B.S. in electrical engineering. While there, he met the love of his life Mary Owl and was married to her in 1958. After graduation, Dean and Mary moved to Boulder, CO where he started working with the National Bureau of Standards. His specialty was microwave calibration and retired after 35 years with the NBS. A son, Benjamin, was born in 1961, and a daughter, Tiana, in 1963. Dean moved his family to Longmont, CO where he lived for over 50 years. Dean lived with a great sense of love for family and friends, service to others (including mission trips to Mexico and Guatemala), and with a playful and joking spirit toward everyone he met. Dean was passionate about his hobbies: rose gardening, carpentry, repairing organs, motorcycling. His favorite pastime was listening to the beautiful piano playing of his wife Mary and could not listen to her without welling up with joy. Dean is survived by his wife Mary, children Ben and Tiana, sister Karin, granddaughter Eleanor, and in-laws Judy and Norman.Memorial services will be held 2:00pm Thursday, February 6, 2014 at Central Presbyterian Church.