Obituary of Lee Dean

Lee R. "Pete" Dean Afton, NY Lee "Pete" Dean, 77, of Afton, passed away on Tuesday, March 29, 2011, in Arcadia, Florida. He was predeceased by his mother, Olive Sands; father, Ruger Dean; and wife, MaeElla Dean. Pete is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Rosanne Dean and grandchildren: Mason, Devon and Payton Dean from Harpursville; his daughter and son-in-law, Terri and John Jackson and grandchildren: Kaitlyn and Andrew Jackson from Norwich; brothers and sisters-in-law: Jack and Sue Dean of Conklin, Noble "George" Dean of Greene, James and Madeline Sands of Glassboro, NY, John Sands and companion Alice of Tunkhannock, PA, and Harry Sands of Ohio; sisters: Jeanne Sands of Tulia, TX and Suzie Jacobus of Pensacola, FL; special friend, Reva Sadler of Arcadia, FL as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Pete was born in Colesville, NY in October of 1933. He grew up in Afton and graduated from Afton Central School. After graduation, he enlisted in the Air Force where he served his country from 1955-1959. While in the military, he worked as an aviation mechanic stationed in Arizona where he met and married his loving wife of 45 years, MaeElla Dean. The majority of his life, he was self-employed as an independent truck driver, hauling freight throughout the US. He was an avid race car driver and fan and held many records for hill climbs in his racing years. Pete was also an airplane enthusiast and enjoyed attending live air shows and remote control model air shows. Ultimately, Pete's grandchildren were his pride and joy. He rarely missed an athletic event or performance that his grandchildren were involved in. Their success was his pride. Friends may call at the First Baptist Church, 30 Caswell Street, Afton on Friday, April 8, 2011 from 1:00pm-2:00pm. Funeral services will immediately follow at 2:00pm. The Rev. Christopher Prezorski, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Afton, will be officiating. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Dean family in care of C.H. Landers, Inc. Funeral Chapel, 21 Main Street, PO Box 2086 Sidney, NY 13838. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.landersfh.com. Arrangements under the direction of C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel, 21 Main St. Sidney.