Bill W. Dean

Bill W. Dean, who died Aug. 9, 2016, was from a family who came to Elkhart in mid-19th century. He had never been in the city until his second marriage in 2001 to an Elkhart resident, Ann Baucus.
According to a volume in the city library, Dean’s great grandfather B.F. Dean was a justice of the peace in Elkhart in 1850. His grandfather William D. Dean was born in Elkhart that year and his father Carl E. Dean was born there in 1882. Grandfather and great grandfather were printers working for different Elkhart newspapers. The family eventually moved to Duluth, MN.

Bill Dean was born in Minneapolis, MN the last day of 1917. He attended Cornell College in Iowa and served four years in the Air Force during World War Two. Dean began a career as a journalist on the Marshalltown, IA Times Republican, then for 18 years as an editor for the Associated Press in Omaha, NE. He left the AP to work for the National Park Service. After 16 years he retired as an associate director of the 10 state Midwest Region which had its headquarters in Omaha. After retirement he taught journalism for seven years at Creighton University in Omaha.

Dean was married to Florence Schildknecht, a teacher and the couple had two children. Born William Walter Dean, he changed his legal name to Bill W. Dean. As a young man he had lymphoma from which he recovered after surgery and radiation. He served as president of the metropolitan Omaha unit of the American Cancer Society and later as chairman of the board of the Nebraska state ACS.
After their children were grown Dean and his wife traveled extensively eventually visiting 22 countries on four continents. During their travels he pursued photography as a hobby. Eventually both husband and wife took up watercolor painting. In 1999 Florence died of cancer.

Dean continued to paint and at a watercolor workshop in Michigan met Ann Baucus of Elkhart. They were married and made their home in Elkhart. It was the first time he had been in the city where his father and grandfather were born. Until then he had lived in Omaha for more than half a century. Dean served as a member of the boards of the Elkhart County Symphony and of the League of Women Voters. As a watercolor painter he was represented several years in the annual juried show at the Midwest Museum in Elkhart.

Dean is survived by his wife Ann and by his two children, Walter (Joleen) of Washington, D.C, and Claudia (Daniel Feller) of Knoxville, TN; 3 grandchildren, Kate Dean, Will Dean and Daisy Feller and 4 step-children, Bob Baucus (Sandy), Susan Meyers (Tom), David Baucus (Melissa) and Jayne Cappelletti.

Please share our sorrow in losing such a remarkable, intelligent and talented man from 4-8 pm Friday, Aug. 19th featuring live music and sharing of memories at Stemm-Lawson-Peterson Funeral Home.
Contributions in Bill’s memory may be given to Church Community Services, Midwest Museum of American Art, Planned Parenthood or Doctors Without Borders.

The family thanks Dr. Ryan Matherly and staff, Dr. Troy Weirick, Dr. Jerald Hochstetler, Dr. Geoffrey Rogers, Dr. Patrick Russell, Dr. Mamoon Raza, Dr. Monika Fischer, IU Med Center, Taylor Physical Therapy staff, The Ambulatory Infusion staff of Elkhart General Hospital and Center for Hospice Care.
Online condolences may be made at www.stemmlawsonpeterson.com.