Michael Henry Dean, 78, passed away peacefully on February 14, 2021 at Hospice Alliance\/Hospice House from a brain tumor.<\/p>\n
Mike was the youngest of twins born to Milton C. Dean, Sr., and Shirley (Jacobs) Dean on May 16, 1942 at St. Catherine\u2019s Hospital in Kenosha. He spent his formative years at McKinley Elementary and Junior High Schools. Mike graduated from Mary D. Bradford High School in 1960 and attended what was then called the Extension (U.W.-Parkside) for two years. Until Mike left for college, he spent his summers honing his math and people skills while working at his dad\u2019s fruit market.\u00a0 Mike went on to get a bachelor\u2019s degree in education and his master\u2019s degree from UW-Whitewater.\u00a0 Mike made Janesville, WI his home where he taught 6th grade at Madison Elementary, Monroe Elementary, and later at Franklin Middle School.\u00a0 He married Anna Moss and they had two children, Steve and Katie.<\/p>\n
It was during his 38-year career teaching Social Studies that Mike\u2019s talents really blossomed.\u00a0 He was known for his creative and immersive units, for making his classrooms fun, and for taking time for each student.\u00a0 Whether it was opening the gym for students to play basketball before school, coaching after school, or lending a sympathetic ear to a student in need, Mike was deeply involved in student lives inside the classroom and out.<\/p>\n
Mike\u2019s son Steve started a group called \u201cMr. Dean Memories\u201d on Facebook in November for Mike\u2019s former students to post comments and memories about him. To date, more than 1,200 members have posted including students, parents of students, and former colleagues. One of his former students commented (in relation to his teaching style), \u201cPart Socratic method, part Evangelist, and part Broadway actor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mike\u2019s creativity and excellence in teaching earned him Teacher of the Year twice in Janesville.\u00a0 Mike was also a recipient of the Herbert Kohl Fellowship, recognizing teaching excellence and innovation in Wisconsin.\u00a0 He also started College for Kids in the Janesville area.<\/p>\n
Upon retirement, Mike moved back to Kenosha and jumped into life in his hometown with characteristic enthusiasm. He became a volunteer at the Kenosha Public Museums, as well as becoming a museum board member and serving on his condo association board.\u00a0 Always a teacher, Mike held the attention of hundreds of elementary students with his knowledge of the woolly mammoth.\u00a0 He also taught lessons on sign language, a skill he learned in order to communicate with his hearing-impaired daughter.\u00a0 Mike also served on the Bradford Alumni Board and was employed part-time as a bailiff at the Kenosha County Courthouse. He was well-known for his witty My Turn columns and Voice of the People letters in the Kenosha News.<\/p>\n
Mike looked forward to getting together every summer with his high school classmates, doing yoga at least twice a week, playing men\u2019s senior baseball in Racine, and listening to live music by the lakefront with Wendy.\u00a0 Visits from his children included philosophical discussions with Steve, walks on the lakefront, and making crafts with Katie.\u00a0 He was known for his beautiful smile, his pride in being a \u201clefty\u201d, and as a lifetime \u201cdie hard\u201d Cubs fan.<\/p>\n
Mike is survived by his son, Steven Michael Dean (Kristi Ackerman), of Edgerton, WI, his daughter, Katherine Emily Dean, of Whitewater, WI, and his fianc\u00e9e, Wendy Taylor, of Kenosha.\u00a0 He is also survived by his twin brother Milton (Jackie) Dean, Jr., his sister, Sheryl Becker, and his brother Douglas (Corinne) Dean, of Whitefish Bay, WI, as well as several nieces and nephews, and his former wife.<\/p>\n
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother-in-law, Robert W. Becker.<\/p>\n
Mike\u2019s family wishes to thank the nurses and personnel of Kenosha Hospice Alliance who treated him with such kindness and compassion, as well as the doctors and nurses at Froedtert Hospitals in Milwaukee and Kenosha.<\/em><\/p>\n What we are is God\u2019s gift to us; What we become is our gift to God.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Funeral services honoring Michael\u2019s life will be held privately.<\/p>\nInformaci\u00f3n del servicio<\/h3>\n