Donald Walter Dean

Donald Walter Dean, age 89, of Lincoln, Nebraska, passed away on Thursday, September 26, 2024, in Lincoln, Nebraska, after battling a form of Parkinson’s disease for several years. Donald was born to Walter and Darlene (Sanderson) Dean on July 14, 1935, in Brunswick, Nebraska.

Donald graduated from high school in Lyons, Nebraska, in 1953, and then went on to attend Wayne State Teacher’s College in Wayne, Nebraska, where he graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education. After graduation from college, Donald enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he served his country faithfully from 1957-1959 and was honorably discharged at the rank of corporal. Upon entering life as a civilian, Donald began graduate school at Colorado State College in Greeley, Colorado, where he received a Master of Arts Degree in Educational Psychology and Guidance in 1960.

Donald worked the entirety of his professional career as an educator in Nebraska. His first job after college was as a teacher from 1960-1961 at Winside High School. In the fall of 1961, Donald became a high school guidance counselor at Wayne High School where he worked for two school years. As Donald continued to build on his experience, he left Wayne High School in 1963 to become a consultant for guidance services at the Nebraska State Department of Education and just two years later in 1965, a promotion to the director of guidance was accepted. (It was during this time working for the state where Donald met Regena while both were working at the Nebraska State Capitol and married in June 1965.) Donald was then appointed to be the assistant principal for student services at Lincoln High School from 1973-1988 before accepting the same position at Lincoln Southeast High School in 1988 where he remained until retirement in 1995.

Providing for his family and honoring the values instilled in him during his formative years mirrored his life as a husband, father, and grandfather. In their free time, Donald and Regena enjoyed spending time together with family, exercising, attending sporting events, sharing home-cooked meals, traveling to Lake Okoboji in Iowa, reading, genealogy, working around the home, and looking for treasures at secondhand stores and garage sales.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Dennis Dean, his brother-in-law, Richard Horrum, and grandson, Colton Dean. Donald was also preceded in death by one of his best friends in life, Paul Krohn. Donald met Paul at Wayne State Teacher’s College during the fall of 1954 and they both went on to work side by side in Winside, Nebraska, and stayed in touch often after Paul moved to Akron, Iowa.

Donald is survived by his wife of 59 years, Regena (Wintersteen) Dean, daughter Sydney Dean of Lincoln, Nebraska, sons Jason Dean and Tyler (Tonya) Dean, of Lincoln, Nebraska, sister Carolyn (Jim) Grasmick, of Fremont, Nebraska, and brother-in-law, Allan (Teddy) Wintersteen of Fort Collins, Colorado. Additional survivors include granddaughters Kaitlyn Dean, Sarah Dean, and Hannah Dean, of Lincoln, Nebraska, and grandsons, Jacob Dean, Paden Dean, Camden Dean, and Porter Dean, of Lincoln, Nebraska. There are also many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends left to cherish Donald’s memory.

A celebration of life for Donald will be held Friday, October 4, 2024 at 2:00 PM at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 S. 14th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68512. Memorials in Donald's honor can be made to The Wayne State Foundation Class of 1957 Scholarship, 1111 Main Street, Wayne, NE 68787. Arrangements entrusted to Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home in Lincoln, Nebraska.