Hal Stone Dean

Hal Stone Dean, 88, passed away Saturday, February 12, 2011. Hal was born October 30, 1922 to Forest William Dean and Vernon Stone Dean in Wooster, Ohio. He attended a one-room schoolhouse through the eighth grade. At the age of 15, Hal earned his Eagle Scout badge. He attended Wooster High School and was co-captain of the football team, which went undefeated. After graduating from Wooster High School in 1940, Hal enrolled at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, earning a B.S. degree (1947) in Geology. He made many lifelong friends as a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. While at Ohio State, Hal played football for the Buckeyes under Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown. Starting every game at left guard, Hal was a member of the Ohio State 1942 team that won the Big 10 and the NCAA National Championship football titles. Hal was a member of the Advanced ROTC at Ohio State, and in December 1942, he was ordered to Ft. Hayes in Columbus, Ohio for active duty. He attended Infantry School at Ft. Benning, Georgia, receiving his Paratroop Wings. In August 1944, Hal was assigned to the 541st Parachute Regiment at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. Initially, he was ordered to Ft. Meade, Maryland to depart for the European Theater but after Allied victories, he was sent to Ft. Ord, California to depart for the Pacific Theater. He arrived in the city of Manila, Philippines, shortly after the Japanese had been defeated, working patrol duty and searching for Japanese hideouts. He joined the 187th Regiment, 11th Airborne Division and began intensive airborne training in preparation for the invasion of the mainland of Japan at Lipa in the Luzon. In August 1945, following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Hal’s regiment was immediately airlifted to Okinawa to prepare to invade the Japanese at Atsugi Airfield, Tokyo, Japan and was among the first troops to land on the Japanese homeland. Hal was captain of the 11th Airborne football team that won the All-Pacific title. In May 1946, Hal returned to the United States and was discharged from the military as company commander and captain 1st Battalion, 187th Glider Infantry Regiment, 11th Airborne Division. He earned two bronze stars for his military service. Hal had an outstanding football season when he returned to the Ohio State campus in 1946 and was voted to the All-Big Ten team. He was mentioned on several All-American selections and played in the East-West Shrine game. Hal was inducted into Sphinx, a senior honorary at Ohio State, and in June 1947, Hal married his high school sweetheart Estella Graber. They moved from Ohio to Los Angeles after Hal was drafted in the 1947 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He played for the Rams during the 1947, 1948 and 1949 seasons, and was a member of the NFL Western Division Championship team. Hal played in the 1949 NFL Championship Game, predecessor to the modern Super Bowl. During the off-season, he attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, California to pursue his M.S. degree (1950) in Geology. After graduation, he and Stella moved to San Antonio, Texas for his first oil geology position with Magnolia Petroleum Corp. Five years later, he joined Pauley Petroleum, owned by Ed Pauley, part-owner of the Los Angeles Rams. In 1960, Hal moved his family to Midland and opened an office for El Paso Natural Gas. He also worked in Midland as district manager for Apache Corporation and Union Texas Petroleum. He eventually became an independent explorer in partnership with Bill Moss and J. Howard Marshall, forming the Petroleum Corporation, which explored for oil and gas in West Texas and New Mexico. He continued working as an independent geologist until his death. In 1970, Hal had the honor of inducting his former Los Angeles Rams teammate, Tom Fears, into the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Hal and Stella later moved to Rancho Santa Fe, California. After Stella’s death in 1987, Hal married Nancy Bartling. He eventually returned to Midland to be closer to his family and friends. Hal enjoyed watching football games, especially Ohio State, and proudly wore his National Championship ring. He also enjoyed ranching in Terrell County, Texas. His friends and family will always remember his laughter and stories. He was a wonderful father and grandfather and will be missed dearly every single day. Hal was a member of the AAPG, NFL Alumni, Varsity “O” Alumni, and an Emeritus Board Member of the Petroleum Investment Committee of Stanford University. He also established a fellowship in his name at Stanford University. Hal was a Sunday School teacher, Deacon, and Elder at First Presbyterian Church in Midland. He was inducted into the Wayne County, Ohio Sports Hall of Fame in June 1978 and enshrined in the Wooster High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1986. Hal is survived by his children, Hal “Rocky” Dean, Jr. of Midland, Ann Creamer and her husband Don of Midland, Amy Robnett and her husband Steve of Midland, and Nancy Dean of Midland; his brothers, Forest “Bill” Dean, Jr. and his wife Vi of Wooster, Ohio and Dr. Donald Dean and his wife Mary Jane of Santa Rosa, California; his grandchildren, Alyson Creamer McLane and her husband Matt of Midland, Shannon Creamer of New York, New York, Courtney Robnett Goodwin and her husband John of Midland, Claire Robnett of Midland, and Spencer Robnett of Midland; and his great-grandchildren, Sloan Goodwin and Connor Goodwin of Midland.