Lt. Col. Frank D. Dean, USAF (Ret.)

May 12, 1919 - November 5, 2006

Former Deputy District Attorney, Frank D. Dean, passed away at his home Sunday, November 5, 2006 on his wife's birthday, after a courageously long fight against a vast number of debilitating health ailments. 

Frank was a man who left his mark on history forever with a career as a Prosecuting Deputy District Attorney; survival after a two-and-a-half-year imprisonment in the infamous Stalag 17 World War II German prison camp and his 47-year marriage to the woman with whom he would spend the rest of his life -- Shirleen "Sherry", as he called her. 

You meet someone like Frank Dean one time in your life and whether you were his co-worker, his wife, his child, his friend or one of the many, many, many people he helped, it was impossible to go away from an interaction with him not having been enriched by the experience. 

Frank was discharged from the Air Force in 1948 after an illustrious career that included a stint as a member of the Counter Intelligence Corps and provided him with amazing stories, including a turn as a bodyguard for President Truman, with which he would regal many lucky recipients for the rest of his life. 

During the Korean War he continued to fly weekend missions in the Air Force Reserve as he began a lifelong career in law enforcement, beginning as a San Joaquin County Deputy Sheriff. Having spent years enforcing the law that he held in such high esteem, Frank took the opportunity to transfer to the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office as an investigator which proved to be a life changing move on many levels, not the least of which was because he met his future wife there, during one of his many infamous, colorful and memorable exchanges. 

After several years in the trenches, investigating some of the area's most gruesome crimes, Frank and Sherry made a decision that he would pursue a law degree while they both worked full-time, he as an investigator, she as his secretary at the District Attorney's office, as they also raised two small children. After great determination on both of their parts, Frank graduated from Humphreys law school in 1969 and embarked upon a legal career that saw him helping people get into recovery programs for drug addiction, supporting peace officers in their efforts to uphold the law and prosecuting cases that others deemed impossible to win. 

Even after Frank retired from the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office in 1983 he continued his involvement in law enforcement, prosecuting cases as an Administrative Law Judge, as well as serving as an arbitrator for the Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program. 

He never lost his passion for the law and his professional development tapes that were required to keep him in good stead with the State Bar Association remain on the table where he left them, CD player pressed to "pause" as he was still working on them until his death. 

Memberships and Associations: VFW, Karl Ross post; Lifetime membership, California Narcotic Officers' Association; Life time membership, American ex-prisoners of war, Stalag (XVIIB) 17B, Kriegle, Delta Chapter; Disabled American Veterans (veteran of World War II and Korea), honorable discharge 1948; 95th Bomb Group Memorials Foundation; State Bar Arbitrator, Member, Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program, State Bar of California, San Francisco, CA State Bar Association; Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, San Joaquin, U.S.A., Brother, 32 degrees Free & Accepted Masons of California, Natoma Lodge, Folsom San Joaquin County Bar Association; Counter Intelligence Corps Center, United States Army, May 10, 1948; Master Sergeant, Department of the Air Force, Outstanding Unit Award, 1005th Special Investigations Group (IG); The 95th Bomb Group Memorials Foundation; Member of the 84th ATS (Air Transport Service)/MAS. 

Frank's legacy is immeasurable, but the one he especially treasured the most was in the form of his family; his much-loved wife, Sherry; his daughter, Diane; his son-in-law, Gary; his grandchildren, Nicole and Kelsi; his step-son, David, his wife, Donna, and their children, Whitney, Lindsay and Zachary. 

It is only fitting to pay tribute to this patriot and World War II veteran -- our father, husband and friend on the day we celebrate the Veteran's Day holiday this year, Friday, November 10, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. at Wallace-Martin Funeral Home, 520 N. Sutter St., Stockton, California. A reception following the service will be held at On Lock Sam's restaurant at 333 Sutter Street, Stockton, California. 

We welcome you in joining our family in honoring Frank Dean. Visitation for the public will be held on Thursday, November 9, 2006 from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Wallace-Martin Funeral Home.

Published in The Record from Nov. 8 to Nov. 9, 2006.