James Ray Dean

Jimmy was born in Cushing, Oklahoma to John A. Dean and Marjorie L. Dean on September 5, 1939. He served in the United States Coast Guard from 1956 until 1960. Jimmy also had a long career as a welder and general contractor, working on various projects through the years. In April 1958, Jimmy was awarded a Gold Life-Saving Medal for saving lives at sea; he also was honored for rescuing a person from a burning car in September of 2012.
Some of his activities were to talk and tell stories at the BBQ, pig roasting, and family gatherings at his property. Although his favorite place was home and hosting family events, he also enjoyed traveling to Mexico and Costa Rica. He loved working on his property, from planting weeping willow trees to working on the ponds; he even built a homemade waterwheel!
His mantra was, “With hard work, you can have anything. Just gotta get to it.”
Jimmy was preceded in passing by sister Jo Ann, and brothers Billy, John Jr., and Don. He is survived by brothers Le Roy Dean, Ronald Dean; daughters Tina, Linda, Marjorie, and Amanda; stepsons Jimmy and Brian, along with 12 grandkids and 17 great-grandkids.