Donald "Don" R. Dean Obituary (1953 - 2021)

Don Dean - 68 years young - of Sheldon, SC passed away on Wednesday, October 20th in our home. He was surrounded by family who all loved him dearly. Don is survived by his adoring wife, Charlotte Dean along with a son, Miles Dean and his wife Jessica. Don had three brothers and sisters in law; Danny (Sandra), Paul (Jay) and Allen (Ann). Don had nieces Catherine Dean Grill and Nicki Reed. He also had nephews Jeremy Dean and Jimmy Jones. He is also survived by his former wife and business partner Cindy Dean who has been a Godsend through the last months of Don's illness. He was predeceased by his parents, Denzele and Pauline Dean and also his nephew, J. D. Dean. Don is the bravest man I've ever known. We got his diagnosis of ALS - also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease - in March of 2020, something so unbelievable that I can still not believe it is real. He was a very private man and truly wanted to spare his friends the sadness of knowing what he had. He is the love of my life. I called him my boy and I loved and adored him beyond my ability to describe. We did what he could do as long as he could do things. We went on our Great Western Adventure just last September and we had the best time. He drove that motorhome 6,383 miles through 24 states. We were gone almost 7 weeks. Don loved seeing all the beautiful country out there; the open expanses of land that went on forever, the beauty of the Badlands, The Grand Canyon, too many wonders to name. I was hoping we could go again but it was not to be. Don owned and operated Dean Electric for 37 years. He cherished his dedicated employees who all contributed to the success of Dean Electric. Don loved the peace and tranquility of spending time in the river. We spent days going from one tide to the next enjoying the beauty of the blue skies with puffy white cotton ball clouds and the contrast of the green of the marsh against the river. He enjoyed fishing for trout and spot tail bass and sharing fishing stories with friends over dinner. He enjoyed Nascar and I can only hope he's found Dale by now and had a beer with him. Don had his own successful racing career and he enjoyed it immensely. After knee surgery on his left knee, he saw no reason why he should not participate in the next race because he could still "mash the gas" with his right foot ... and so he did. He enjoyed metal detecting for Confederate relics of the Civil War period. He loved to sit outside on the screened porch and smoke his Backwoods cigars. The people at the Shell Station on Boundary Street liked him so much, they would hide a box of cigars for him so they would have them when he stopped by and asked for them. He enjoyed camping, impromptu gatherings on the dock and riding his Harley through the mountains. He proudly served as President of our little Home Owner's Association. He truly loved his neighbors and this community. Don loved people and everyone loved him. When you were in his company, you were accepted and at ease and he was genuinely interested in you and what you had to say. He was a man of means, happy and content with the simplest of things. He had a quick wit, a great humor. He was the smartest man I've ever known and he could do anything. He was a true friend to many. It is heartwarming to hear everyone tell me what a good and fair man Don was. I would just like to remind you that we are not promised tomorrow. You can be gone in the blink of an eye. Please don't wait to do the things you really want to do. I am so thankful that we got to go on that trip out West. Go fishing. Go travel. Love hard. Forgive freely. Don told people after we got back, "If you want to go out west, start packing your bags, don't wait!". Enjoy every second, make it all count, live in the moment, take too many pictures. Lastly, I would encourage you to make a donation to the ALS Society in Don's honor. It is an incredibly difficult disease. A Celebration of Don's Life Memorial is planned for Saturday, November 13th starting at 3 pm at our home. You may call the office of Dean Electric for details. I hope to see lots of people and hear lots of Don stories. I can't wait to see you again, my love, I love you with all my heart! Your wife, Charlotte Dean