Dean died May 3, 1991, in Palm Desert, California. He was the son of a minister of the Church of the Brethren and a CPS-103 jumper during WWII. Dean entered Civilian Public Service in 1943 and jumped at McCall during the 1944-45 seasons. He got three fire jumps in 1944 and seven during the busy 1945 season.

After the war, Dean received his bachelor's degree from Manchester College in 1946 and his Master's from Colorado University in 1953.

He taught business in secondary schools, spending 25 years teaching in Redondo Beach, California. He spent nine years on the State Board of the California Teachers Association before retiring to Palm Desert in 1982.