John DEAN

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DEAN: On August 16, 2018, John (Jack) Clarke Dean, husband, father and grandfather passed away suddenly at the age of 71 years. Jack will be forever cherished by his wife and best friend Nellie; sons Jeff (Nikki) and Michael (Sabrina); grandchildren Brianna, Rylan, Jessica and Gunner; Nellie’s children Kelvin (Liane), Reuben (Connie), Noreen (Don), Sean (Mindy) and Conrad (Chrissy); grandchildren Colton, Austin, Cheyne, Shantel, Kendra, Ryley, Connor, Raegan, Chloe, Walker and Isaac; sisters Janie Barr (Jim) and Barb Knight (Ted); brother-in-law Neil Johnstone (Karin); and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his first wife Pam, father Ev and mother Jean, father-in-law Chris and mother-in-law Aileen and sister-in-law Pat Smith. Jack was born on September 26, 1946 in Estevan, Saskatchewan and moved to Winnipeg as a boy. He spent most of his youth with horses, hunting and fishing. Jack attended Kelvin High School in Winnipeg. Jack worked at the Hudson Bay Company until he was old enough to pursue a career as a Natural Resources Officer. Jack met his first wife Pam as a teenager and they were together for six years before they were married on July 5, 1969. Jack’s work took them to various locations in the North with longer stays in The Pas and eventually to Griswold in 1987 where he retired in 2006 after 39 years with Natural Resources. When Pam passed away in 2007 after a brave battle with cancer, Jack found comfort spending as much time as he could with Brianna. Jack met Nellie in August of 2009 during a fundraising trailride. It was a perfect match. Having both lost their partners, they were able to come together and learn to enjoy life again. They were married August 3, 2013 and spent their years together travelling, hunting, fishing, and camping. He especially enjoyed taking the grandchildren on some of their camping adventures and introducing them to winter camping. He spent many years as a 4-H instructor, youth hunting mentor and Manitoba Wildlife Federation member. For the last 8 years Jack enjoyed his time guiding for bear with Nellie and Reuben’s outfitting business where his extensive knowledge was a great asset and his humour and storytelling kept everyone entertained for hours. Jack and Nellie also enjoyed their fly-in trips to the far northern tip of the province guiding for moose. Jack has left a big void in our hearts and what we will miss most is his unpredictable humor, his candor and infectious smile, laugh, and epic pranking. His willingness to share his love for the outdoors with anyone and everyone (especially his family) will always be treasured. The service to celebrate Jack’s life was held at the Oak Lake Community Hall on August 23, 2018. Lydia Glawson officiated and Manitoba Conservation provided an Honour Guard. A private interment was held at the Griswold cemetery. Donations in memory of Jack may be made to the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, 150 McTavish Ave E, Brandon, MB R7A 2B3.

As published in Brandon Sun on Sep 15, 2018