Dean Robinson

Dean and his family moved to Miller, SD when he was young and there he helped his dad build the house in which he grew up. He attended Miller High School and then earned his BS in Agricultural Sciences at South Dakota State University. There he met and married Dona Ferguson and they had four children: Lori Lynn, Gail Rae, Carol Ann, and William Paul (Bill). Dean led an adventurous life, taking risks both in business and fun, and doing it all with enthusiasm and optimism. He started out ranching with his dad and Uncles Ted and Clayton Jennings in eastern South Dakota. From there he moved on to cattle brokerage and then to stock brokerage. Then in the 1970’s, he started his first company, American Quotation Systems, in Champaign, IL, successfully selling it to Knight-Ridder a few years later. A second company emerged in Champaign, as well: Disk-Tec, where he implemented many forward-thinking management principles based on the work of Edward G. Deming. And finally, he joined ranks with a third company in Indianapolis, IN, Water Island, helping to build and grow that company as well until it successfully sold to Culligan. He and Dona divorced, and he happily spent his remaining years with Karen Oberting, starting their lives in The Villages in Florida and then moving to Grove City, Ohio to be near Karen’s son and granddaughters. He was a serious tournament bridge player, earning the status of Grand Life Master, and then teaching bridge and directing the bridge club in The Villages. He was a natural athlete, playing both golf and tennis exceptionally well without a lot of training. He loved music and could whistle a tune with the best of them. Dean’s good business sense and sharp intelligence made him a successful entrepreneur, and his energy, humor, and joy brightened any group he was part of.

Dean is survived by his adoring daughters, Lori and Gail, and chosen daughter, Molly as well as loving partner, Karen Oberting, and her children, Matthew (Stacy) and David (Lisa) and granddaughters Ava and Dorothy.

Dean was preceded in death by his daughter, Carol Ann (1987) and son, William Paul (2019).

The family will be hosting a celebration of Dean's life at a later date.