Garland Dean Obituary

Dr. Garland Ray Dean

Wichita Falls

Dr. Garland Ray Dean died on, Saturday, August 11, 2018, in Wichita Falls after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He was born in 1931 in Pampa, Texas, and graduated from Amarillo High School. In school his love of music involved him with the original Sandy Swingsters, one of the very early high school dance bands, which, at that time, had no official connection to the school. He attended Texas University where he was a member of the Longhorn band and Acapella choir. He graduated from Southwestern Medical School in 1957 and began his medical practice in Wichita Falls in 1958. They had three children: Gayle Dean of Lubbock, Texas; Lee Ann Dean of Wolfforth, Texas; and Clay Dean of Anahuac, Texas. He is survived by his children and their spouses; his step-son, C.A. King of Wichita Falls; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. He married Juanita King in 1994; she died in 2017.

Dr. Dean married Ellen Johnson of McCamey, Texas, in 1954; she died in 1990.

Dr. Dean practiced family medicine in Wichita Falls for 32 years at University Park Clinic. After the death of his first wife, he became the first full time Medical Director of Wichita General Hospital for seven years. After retirement, he became the first full time Medical Director at Hospice of Wichita Falls. During his practice he served as Chief of Staff of Wichita General Hospital, President of the North Texas Medical Foundation, and President of the Community Health Center. He received the Distinguished Service Award for Humanitarian Service from the Wichita County Medical Society in 2000. He was a private pilot and senior medical examiner for the FAA for 25 years. He also served as a team physician for Rider High School for 25 years.

Dr. Dean was an avid traveler, going to Dominican Republic for two mission trips with the Christian Medical Society with his family. They made two camping trips to St. John in the Virgin Islands. They took trail rides to the Rockies and back packing trips with church groups and family and were avid water and snow skiers. After the children were away at college, he and Ellen explored the head waters of the Amazon River on four occasions using native dugout canoes and bush pilots for back country explorations. Their most memorable trip was taking part in a six week exploration of a remote river in Ethiopia which was relatively unexplored. Their son, Clay, dropped out of college for a semester and accompanied them. Their exploits were written about in magazines, and they gave presentations about the trip on numerous occasions. In 1987, Garland went to Palestine at the behest of Palestinians who had just begun their Intifada, and he wrote of his experiences. This brought about some controversy in local newspaper and magazines. His involvement terminated with the onset of terminal cancer in his wife, Ellen.

After his second marriage, to Juanita, they traveled by mule and foot to the old re-discovered Spanish gold mines in the bottom of Copper Canyon in Mexico. At age 69, Dr. Dean took up SCUBA diving and went on dive cruises to the Leeward Islands and Hawaii.

After his final retirement, Dr. Dean and Juanita traveled to the Far East, Alaska, Greece and Egypt and by motor home to much of the United States. One of his greatest joys was being able to again play with the Sandy Swingsters for their 50th high school reunion. Dr. Dean was a long time member of the Open Door Class at First United Methodist Church.

The family will receive friends at a visitation from 12:00 until 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, at Lunn's. Funeral services will follow at 1:00 p.m. in Lunn's Chapel, officiated by Pastor Chad Stubblefield. Interment will follow at Riverside Cemetery under the direction of Lunn's Colonial Funeral Home. Pallbearers will be Leon Davis, Nathan Reynolds, Christian Oliva, Robin Reynolds and Todd Selby.

For those desiring, memorial contributions may be sent to Hospice of Wichita Falls, 4909 Johnson Road, Wichita Falls, Texas 76310.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lunnscolonial.com.