Philip Carl Dean

He was born July 14, 1944, in Bay City, MI, to Philip and Ilau (Manary) Dean, while his father was serving with the Marine Corps in the South Pacific. Phil married Mary Cunningham of Dayton, OH, on January 8, 1972.

He received a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering in 1966 and a Juris Doctorate in 1971, both from the University of Michigan. He was a life-long devoted fan of the undisputed national champion Michigan Wolverines. Phil practiced law in Lansing for twenty years and then built low-income housing for seven years with Ferris Development and the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition before retiring. The Philip C. Dean Apartments in Lansing were named in his honor. He was chair of the Lansing ACLU, a Fellow of the Michigan Bar Association Foundation, and clerk of session of Eastminster Presbyterian Church where he taught Sunday school and served as elder and deacon during his fifty years in the congregation. He lived a life of service.

Phil is survived by his wife of 52 years, Mary, two children: Rebecca (Joseph Beaver) of East Lansing and Philip (Anna Kurtz) of Pittsburgh, PA, three grandchildren (Margaret, Dominic, and Eleanor Beaver), and his brothers Douglas of Perth, Australia, and Dorn (Victoria) of Pacific Palisades, CA. He was predeceased by his parents, Philip and Ilau.

A funeral will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 11:00 AM, with visitation from 10:15 AM to 11:00 AM, at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Lansing with Rev. Kristin Stroble officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to the ACLU of Michigan.