Stephen Leigh Dean, age 80, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away unexpectedly Friday, August 25, 2023, at his home. He was born July 9, 1943, in Oneida, New York, the son of Ronald Walter Dean and Lizzie Limebeck Dean. Stephen married Merleen Della King on January 28, 1961. They made their home in upstate New York before moving to Kansas.
Stephen had over thirty years of service with the United States Army. He retired as a Sargent First Class. Stephen completed the truck driving program at Ft. Scott Community College and following his military service, he began working as a truck driver. He drove for several area trucking companies.
He later worked as a driver for Dolly the Trolly where he enjoyed visiting with tourists and sharing the history of Ft. Scott. Stephen loved the outdoors and loved to hunt and fish. While in New York, he served as Scout Master for his son’s Boy Scout troupe.
Currently, he was a member of the Bone Creek Gun Club. Stephen was proud of his military service and was a member of the V.F.W. and the American Legion. He often helped provide military honors for deceased veterans
Following the death of his first wife, Merleen, on September 4, 2020, he remarried Sharon Tucker Wolf on October 16, 2021.
Survivors include his wife, Sharon, of the home; a son, James Dean of Ft. Scott and a daughter, Julie VanBecelaere (Ted) of Osceola, Missouri; twelve grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren. In addition to his first wife, Merleen, Stephen was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Shirley Arno and LaNita Siebel.
Pastor Larry Stevicks will conduct funeral services at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, August 31st at the Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Burial with military honors will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Wednesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Emmanuel Baptist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
I knew and worked with Steve. He was a lovely man, and I know there are groups and groups and groups out there who are going to miss him. I surely will miss having him as my cohort on Saturdays at the Chamber of Commerce. My condolences to his family and friends. He is sorely missed. We also lost a historian.