Charles Dean Howell

Dean was born in La Junta, Colorado on September 14, 1951, to Charles Juan Howell of Albuquerque, NM and Lola Mae Murray Howell of La Junta, CO. Charles was in the Air Force, stationed in Okinawa at the time. After returning from Okinawa, the young family lived in Albuquerque, NM. Over the years, 3 brothers and 5 sisters were born.

In 1964 the family moved to Aurora, CO. Dean was on the wrestling team through East Junior High School and Hinkley High School. He was also in choir, auto mechanics and played guitar. He used the auto mechanics skills to work with Dennis Gray as the pit crew on a racing team while in high school.

During the last year of high school, he and Dennis got on the waiting list for Bronco’s season tickets. Their names came up in 1977, when Dennis bought the tickets, sharing with Dean when he was able to visit Denver. After returning to Denver in 1992, Dean bought season tickets also.

In 1968 his best friend Dennis Gray and his girlfriend Mary Stolley set him up on a blind date with Mary’s friend Kathye Marsh, who was usually buried behind a book at lunch. They were introduced, however Kathye’s glasses were broken, so all she saw was a smile. A truly blind date. In 1971 they married.

Dean started working at Red Barn restaurants in 1967. He worked his way up from cashier to training manager for the Denver area. In 1976 he bought a Red Barn franchise in Springfield, IL, with Kathye and Dennis and Mary Gray as partners and then another restaurant. When several large offices and manufacturers in the area closed, the restaurants also closed in 1979. The next adventure was working construction in Denver for the summer of 1979, then moving to Sacramento for Kathye’s job. Over the next 15 years Dean went from manager, corporate trainer, district manager and operations auditor for several restaurant chains on the west coast. He stayed in touch with many of the people he worked with during this time.

He left the restaurant industry in Denver in 1994. Although he loved the work, the hours were killer, taking a lot of time away from his growing family. He spent a year appraising homes, but the real estate market was slow, and he decided to try another career. He started in the parts department at a restaurant equipment sales and service company in 1995. The hours were 8-5. He’d never had those hours before and his family enjoyed all the hours he could now spend with them.

In 1978, in Springfield, a son, James Fredrick (Fred) was born. In 1983, in Reno, NV, his second child, a son, Adam Fletcher, was born. A daughter, Robin Frances, was born in 1986 in San Pablo, CA. With three children, life was full of adventure. He saw his children grow and blossom into wonderful parents of a total of 5 grandchildren. Fred and Adam still live in the Denver area. Robin is in Virginia.

Dogs have always been a part of Dean’s life. He’d always wanted a bull terrier and got Minnie Belle in 1979. There were three generations of bull terriers in the family until 1991 when the last of Minnie Belle’s descendants died. Dean would wrestle with the kids, but he couldn’t win, because the bull terriers would gently pull him off by the seat of his pants if he was on top.

Dean loved to travel around the United States, and would regularly visit his daughter in Virginia, in-laws in California and other trips. At 59, with the children grown he decided to fulfill a lifelong wish and got a motorcycle.

When he was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 59, he chose to have his prostate removed. Other family members had various complications from other treatment methods, and he did not want to worry about recurrence. He’s been cancer free since the surgery. During his recovery, Fred took custody of the motorcycle to ensure Dean followed the doctor’s orders on recovery time. He happily got the motorcycle back on July 4, 2011. He’s had 4 motorcycles over the years and many happy adventures on rallies and rides with family and the Denver Vulcan Riders Association.

Dean celebrated 50 years of marriage to Kathye on June 26, 2021. Over the years they’ve watched 3 children grow up, enjoyed their grandchildren, watched siblings and their children grow up, traveled through 35 states, attended sporting events, plays, concerts, and ridden to Arkansas, Iowa and over much of Colorado.

A visitation for Charles will be held Thursday, December 9, 2021 from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM at Olinger Hampden Mortuary & Cemetery, 8600 East Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80231. A funeral service will occur Thursday, December 9, 2021 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM, 8600 East Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80231. A reception will occur Thursday, December 9, 2021 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, 8600 East Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80231. A committal service will occur Thursday, December 9, 2021 from 11:30 AM to 12:15 PM, 8600 East Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80231.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.olingerhampdenmortuary.com for the Howell family.