Margaret M. Dean

After 93 vibrant years, Margaret Mae McCallum Dean passed away gently and peacefully on March 4, 2015, with her children at her bedside. She was the intelligent, humorous, and wise matriarch of our family and was greatly loved by everyone.

Margaret, known as Marnie, was a true Seattleite, having lived here most of her life. She attended Ravenna Elementary, Roosevelt High School and was a proud Golden Grad. Her first year of college was spent at Whitman College where she met life-long friends and joined Delta Gamma sorority, an organization where she later volunteered hundreds of hours and just recently had had a graduate fellowship awarded in her honor. She received her B.A. from the University of Washington and was a passionate Husky football and basketball fan, having season tickets for over 50 years.

Marnie met Richard Dick Dean at the UW and they married in 1944, a marriage that lasted 59 years until his death in 2003. They endured the hardships and sacrifices of World War II with Dick in the Navy until they returned to their beloved NW. They had three children and Marnie became the room-mother, PTA volunteer/officer, Camp Fire leader and general taxi driver-tutor-cheerleader-organizer-swim coach for a large tribe of children. When not involved in those activities, Marnie could be found in her garden, tending hundreds of dahlias or volunteering at Milk Fund, Children's Orthopedic Hospital, Delta Gamma and the Sand Point Methodist Church. When not volunteering, she was knitting, sewing, hostessing, and being a loyal and trusted confidant to her wide circle of long-time friends.

Marnie had an adventurous spirit and traveled throughout Europe, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii and the United States. She and Dick were avid Elder Hostel participants, always eager to learn more about the world. Agate hunting throughout the Northwest was an obsession, even on the day the tide came in and trapped her and two friends, so that she had to be rescued by the Coast Guard helicopter from an Oregon beach cliff. Camping, crafting, swimming, antiquing, becoming an expert in sports: she loved to be active, see new things, and be braver than some of her grandchildren!

Each of her children and grandchildren benefitted from her love and belief in education. Reading, doing crosswords that kept her mind and vocabulary sharp, following politics and the news made her a fierce debater and teacher. Her sense of humor topped everything...and kept us all laughing and respecting her wit and awareness.

Marnie will be greatly missed by her family; daughter Debbie Cossey, daughter Megan Dean, and son Jeff, (Robin), four grandchildren: Wayland (Courtney), Kori (Dave), Cameron, Jack, three great-grandchildren, sister and brother-in-law Marilyn and George Marshall, sister-in-law Debbie McCallum, and a huge number of devoted, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends of all ages..

The family wishes to thank her loyal caregivers and doctors who treated her with respect, especially Dr. Gregory John, the Polyclinic, Seattle, for his wise, witty and caring treatment of Marnie for many years. Remembrances can be sent to http://www.seattlemilkfund.org/0">Seattle Milk Fund or the https://www.deltagamma.org/foundation">Delta Gamma Foundation.