Alfred D. Dean

Alfred Dean, known by friends and family as Dale, passed away peacefully in his home on July 14, 2017.

Dale was born in Herbert, Saskatchewan on December 18, 1943. He grew up in Ernfold where his father Phillip bought grain for the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and his mother Cora was a homemaker, teacher and community activist. Dale had a typical small-town upbringing: he was a free-range child. He attended Ernfold Elementry School and Morse High School and in 1962 he enrolled in the College of Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan. In university Dale discovered he was an indifferent student but a good bridge player. Nevertheless, he did manage to graduate in 1967 with a BA in Economics and History. During those years he married his first wife (Virginia Holmberg) and was blessed with a son, Shaun. The marriage did not last but he tried again in 1975 when he married Norma Brampton (Stirton) with whom he had another son, Liam and adopted Steven.

Dale working life included stints as a school teacher, a bank teller, and assisting his father run a Shell Service Station. In 1972, he began a 26 year career as a civil servant, working for both the Federal Government and Government of the Northwest Territories. His work in Supervision and Management took him from Saskatoon to Regina and in 1980 to Yellowknife NWT. As a project manager, he travelled extensively in the North, even as far as Grise Fiord which is 1,160km North of the Arctic Circle. In the latter part of his working life Dale was in the field of Human Resources and was a member of the BC Human Resources Management Association.

Dale loved to travel and visited Australia, Hawaii, Cuba, many US states and Scotland. In 2014 he and Norma, took a ten week sojourn to Ireland, the land of his paternal ancestors. He was proud of the fact he had visited every province and territory in Canada except the Yukon. He had hoped to remedy that in retirement but it was not to be.

Dale retired in 2002 and quickly adjusted to being a house husband and grandfather to 2 grandchildren. In 2007, when Norma retired, they moved to Comox, BC. In the intervening years, he gained 6 more grandchildren, a winter with barely any snow and ice and time to make friends and pursue interests he had not had time for when working. He became involved in the Comox United Church and especially enjoyed the monthly men’s breakfasts and the Thursday bible study. In 2010, he became interested in Education for Ministry (EFM) and completed the four year program, graduating in 2014. These activities gave Dale the opportunity to explore the history of and meanings behind the bible passages. He further enhanced this learning by purchasing courses for self-study. In the end Dales views on religion, god and the afterlife were probably not conventional but he did enjoy a good discussion about them.

Dale is survived by Norma (Stirton) his wife of 42 years, sons Shaun Dean (Megan) Yellowknife, NWT, Liam Dean (Erin) Hay River, NWT and Steven Dean (Joeline) Courtenay, BC, his stepson Counce Brampton, Saskatoon, Sask and eight grandchildren Kiera, Lynden, Ila, Jacob, Jonathon, Malakai, Raven and Trinity. His surviving siblings are Judy Akins (Dennis) Saskatoon, Sk. Colleen Takacs (Garry) Nashville, Tenn, and Wendy Dean (Carol) Regina, Sask plus many nieces and nephews. Dale was predeceased by his parents Phillip and Cora Dean, his sister Gwen and brother in law Dennis both of Orlando, Florida.

A Memorial Service will be held on September 1st at 2:00 in the Comox United Church. Rather than flowers, donations in Dales name to the BC Childrens Hospital, The Filberg Lodge and Park or the local SPCA would be gratefully received.

The family would like to thank Dr. Olga Lamykina and the staff at the Courtenay Medical Clinic and Dr. Bakshi and the nurses at the Cancer Clinic for their dedicated and compassionate care of Dale during his illness. You are all a credit to the profession.

Arrangements under the direction of Piercy's-Mt. Washington Funeral Home, Courtenay, BC.