Leon A. Dean

Leon Alan Dean, 91, of Elkhart, died at Hospice House July 16. Born March 28, 1924, in Lawrenceville, Ill., to Irene (Lathrop) and Everett Barnes Dean, he married Janice Linke in Seymour, Ind., on June 22, 1957.

She survives with children Jessica (Lowell) Walsworth, Sturgis, Mich.; Bruce (Tracy) Dean, Chicago; Martin (Carma) Dean of Elkhart; and Alicia (Jim) Carlson, Indianapolis. His brother Lyndon (Pat) of Waynesville, NC, also survives, along with grandsons Christopher Dean of Goshen, Charles, Eric (Jessica) and Jonathan Dean of Elkhart, Alex (Casey)Dean of Wakarusa, Matthew (Tara) Perry of Sturgis, Mich., and Grace, Sarah and Jacob Carlson of Indianapolis, nieces, nephews, and step grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Two sisters, Marian (Floy) Ekin and Rosemary O’Brien preceded him in death.

Leon served as a forward observer in the U.S. Army, 86th Infantry, Blackhawk Division, from 1942 through 1945 in both Europe and the Philippines. Graduated from Purdue University in 1949 and 1956 in agriculture education, he taught Vocational Agriculture at Crown Point High School, Crown Point, Ind., from 1949 until August 1974 when he came to the Elkhart Area Career Center to teach Vocational Horticulture. He retired in 1988.

During his teaching career he coached FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) teams and individuals to state and national honors. For his achievements with FFA, he was awarded the American Farmer Degree, the organization’s highest honor, in 1980. His agriculture students supported his induction as an “inspirational educator” into the Crown Point High School Teacher Hall of Fame in April 2011.

Leon also taught adult and student driver education as well as working with several of his grandchildren as they learned to drive. Always a teacher, he was an encourager and enjoyed helping others with horticulture and landscaping advice. His grandchildren and others enjoyed his many stories from World War II, growing up on a farm in Southern Illinois, and classroom situations.

As a volunteer, Leon was a 4-H leader, helped start the horticulture exhibit program at the Elkhart County Fair, serving on the Fair board for a number of years, and, prior to that, helped with FFA and horticulture exhibits at the Lake County Fair and judged 4-H photography and vegetable exhibits for several county fairs.

He also volunteered at the Elkhart County Historical Museum, with the CARES program of the Elkhart Community Schools, worked with landscape design for the Elkhart County Habitat for Humanity, Hillcrest United Methodist Church, where he was a 40-year member, and served on the committee for selection of national scholarships awarded by the national FFA Foundation in Indianapolis. His belief in stewardship of natural resources led him to form a post-retirement business, Green Guidance, to be available to help homeowners with landscape issues. He also worked with the Sturdy Oaks Homeowners Association in caring for its park area. Several community organizations benefited from a class he offered as a fundraiser to encourage landscape management: “Landscaping for $$ and Sense.”

A lifelong love of photography led him to membership in the Michiana Photo Club and a number of awards through it and the Elkhart County Parks photo competition. His travels to Alaska, the Copper Canyon in Mexico, Costa Rica, the west coast of the US and a cruise on the Amazon in Peru were recorded in photographs. The travel highlight of his life was a 2005 photo safari in Kenya.

Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, at Hillcrest United Methodist Church, with calling from 9:30 to 11 at the church. The Rev. Kerry O’Brien of Grace United Methodist Church, Rochester, Ind., a nephew of Leon, will officiate.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Center for Hospice, Hillcrest United Methodist Church, or Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County.

Stemm-Lawson-Peterson Funeral Home is entrusted with his care.
Online condolences may be sent to www.stemmlawsonpeterson.com.