Dean A. Richmond

Dean was born to Malcolm and Jane Richmond in North Collins, New York. He grew up on the family dairy farm with his five siblings, Vance (Flora) Richmond, Elloise (Gerald) Merril, Jack (Pat) Richmond, Mac Richmond, and Alnah (John) Sawyer. He married the love of his life, Barbara Mary Clees of Gowanda, NY in Hannibal, Missouri. They had four children, Tracey (Keith) Goad (Indiana), Dean (Joy) Richmond (California), Scott Richmond (deceased), and Brandy Richmond (Indiana). They have been blessed with four grandchildren: Ashley Henderson, Lucas Richmond, Chloe Richmond, and Bridgett Goad; and one great-grandchild, Brent Hanley. He was also beloved Uncle Dean and brother to many across New York, California, and Arizona as well. He was so grateful for the gift of family.

Dean grew up in Western New York during the Great Depression on the family dairy farm, forever shaping who he was and how he thought. He believed in living simply and not to waste anything that God gave you. He went to school in a two room school house and worked the farm from a very young age until the age of 25; when his parents sold the farm. He was different though, an avid reader and interested in so many things. He was before his time, taking on the basic tenets of yoga stretching extensively every morning from age of 13 to the end.

Dean moved west with his family to Visalia, California and began his discovery of what he would do next. After working construction for a year building the California aqueduct, he realized he needed to go back to school. He knew it was never too late to set a new course. Before leaving, he explored the state and found a beach town that he thought one day he might come back to.

Dean moved back to New York, where he worked as a milkman and began saving money for school. During that time, he had a minor medical issue that he took as a calling to go into the medical profession to help people. He moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he went to school at Northwestern Institute for a laboratory science degree in chemistry. While there he worked at a Chinese restaurant, learning to cook all sorts of new things from scratch. He also learned to love the Midwest.

Upon graduating, he would make trips back home to New York where he would go to hometown dances, dancing to Elvis and some of the classics. New Year’s Eve he was set up on a date with a young nurse named Barbara who he became pen pals with for years. He took his first medical lab assignment in Red Cloud, Nebraska. He wanted to live around more people so took a job in Hannibal, Missouri; the land of Mark Twain. He made many great friends there and his career began to blossom. He was offered a position at nearby Jacksonville, Illinois to be the head of a lab, physical therapy, and x-ray. This is where he would change the game and ask his pen-pal Barbara to elope to marry him.

As they built their family to four, tragedy struck and they lost a child. Knowing a change was needed, Dean took a career step backwards to reset their family in a small college town in Indiana named Greencastle. They found a small church on campus named Peace Lutheran, where they would build their family around Christ and Dean would eventually become Head Elder. This community is where they had their third child and became their forever home.

Dean worked at Putnam County Hospital as the Head of the Medical Lab. He loved helping people and was good at what he did. He believed in working hard, treating your employees with fairness and dignity.

Dean had his priorities straight with faith, family, work, and then the rest. He attended church every Sunday and always stayed current with events and culture. He never missed a child’s ballgame, play, or performance. He was a dutiful husband and knew a happy wife makes a happy life. He was always interested in what his kids were learning and encouraged them to work hard and enjoy the material. He taught his kids to be kind to others, to be happy, and be well rounded. He treasured time with close friends, their annual trips to Tennessee and back to their hometown to see family in New York. His favorite season was summer, as it meant strawberries and pie season.

In retirement, for 15 years they lived in California for about half the year. Fulfilling that original idea of being near the ocean with mild weather. He enjoyed spending the day on walks with his wife and going to Bible Study at Starbucks, then picking up his grandkids after school to take them for the occasional ice cream. He loved going to football and soccer games, and each ballet recital. He loved to chat with all of the parents and was interested in everyone’s stories.

During the later years, they would suffer health setbacks and knew that they would need to be back home in Indiana permanently. All while Dean kept his positive outlook and took his duties as a caregiver seriously as long as he was able. Sunday dinners became the new thing to look forward to, and chatting on the phone with family. Which he did to the end.

Dean taught us many things. Enjoy your family. Be kind. Be friendly to all you meet. Be a willing servant. Listen more than you speak. Help those that need it. Exercise. Eat right. Get your sleep. Work hard. Tell jokes. Laugh often. Dance. Sing. Live simply. Forgive. Be honest. Be respectful. Talk to strangers. Be a friend. Show your gratitude. Do your part. Know that it is never too late to change your life. Tell those close to you that you love them. And most importantly accept the grace that God has given you.

Dean humbly appreciated all the people that God put in his life. He loved his family with everything he had, knowing this was the treasure in life. He will be forever missed, until we see him again in Heaven. He wants you to be there too.

His Memorial Service and Celebration of Life is being planned for June 27th at Peace Lutheran Church in Greencastle, IN at 4 pm. In lieu of flowers, he said that any donations could go to the church and the mission.