A Lifetime, A Legacy: Dick Dean
It’s obvious that Richard Dean, or Dick, as he was known to his many friends and family, must have been a proponent of that age-old proverb, “Home is where the heart is.” How could he have been anything but?
Aside from his first four years spent in Cape May Court House, where he was born in 1935, he would spend the remainder of his 88 years across the bay in Avalon, in the same house on Third Avenue (as it was known at the time) that his parents moved into. He raised his family in the very same home where he grew up.
Family was especially important to him, and his family home was a big part of his life. He was one of those rare individuals who never venture far from home. Ever.
Mr. Dean passed away Dec. 20, 2023.
It's pretty easy to see that Mr. Dean’s heart was always in Avalon. And there are more than a few folks who would swear that Mr. Dean was also a big part of the heart of Avalon. It’s taken more than a handful of selfless souls over Avalon’s 132-year history to lay the foundation of the amazing town that Avalon has grown into. Mr. Dean was always one of those people who was going to have a lasting impact on his hometown.
Mr. Dean was very proud of the key role he played among the South Jersey civic leaders who successfully lobbied Washington for beach replenishment funds. “I think that Dad would want his legacy to be that he cared for and worked tirelessly to preserve Avalon’s beaches,” his oldest son Ed says, from his office in town.
His journey through life was always about his family, service to his community, and his business. Says longtime Avalon mayor Marty Pagliughi: “What can I say about Dick? He was one of my best friends. Dick was a very, very special person.”
He grew up a “typical” Avalon kid at the time, according to his brother Frank Chew. “He was my big brother. We did everything together. He shared his love of fishing with me. That’s just one of the many things that we did together in our lives,” he says with a smile. “I miss him,” he adds, with his voice trailing off.
It was a short three-block walk from the Dean home on what would become Ocean Drive to the Avalon School on 26th Street. After school, there was boating, fishing, crabbing, clamming, marine life, and a full island to explore. In addition to his brother Frank, there were plenty of kids in the neighborhood who made growing up on the island a special experience. Mr. Dean also enjoyed competing in sports.
Following two years of active military service and four years in the U.S. Army reserves, Mr. Dean settled back into Avalon with his wife Elizabeth (better known by her middle name, Jane). This was where they raised their children Terry, Ed, Robert, and Michael, all while operating Richard Dean Plumbing and Heating. The plumbing business opened in 1968, a service-industry business that became trusted by countless families in and around Seven Mile Beach.
Service was an integral part of the Dick Dean legacy. He served 31 years on Avalon’s Borough Council, including several terms as council president. In addition, Mr. Dean was a lifetime member of the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department (“Someone needed to do it”), served 21 years as its chief, and was a member of the New Jersey State Fireman’s Association.
When asked what special memories he has of the holidays, Mr. Dean’s son Ed smiles, pauses and says: “It’s funny, but looking back on most holidays, in addition to our family celebrations, Dad had to work. Emergencies in the plumbing and heating business don’t know of holidays, and he was on standby with the fire department in the event an emergency might happen.”
He obviously took each of his responsibilities seriously.
Dr. Nancy Hudanich, who served with Dean on the Avalon Borough Council, had this to say about Mr. Dean in a 2019 Seven Mile Times article: “What struck me first about Dick when I first got onto borough council was his absolute knowledge of Avalon. Dick to me, was the historian of the whole town and could see it through the eyes of a family person and a businessperson. I was in awe of his professionalism and dedication. Better than anything, he understood the importance of our beaches and the need to protect them as the assets that they are.”
Despite his professionalism and passion for service more than one acquaintance mentioned Mr. Dean’s innate sense of humor and his ability to both give and take a good joke. He was also remembered as a man of few words. “Dad was quiet,” Ed told Seven Mile Times upon his father’s retirement. “When he did speak, it was usually profound, and people listened.”
Everyone seems to treasure specific traits when it came to Mr. Dean. He was many things to many people. Avalon’s longtime former director of public works, Harry DeButts, remembers him this way: “Dick was the epitome of the proverbial gentleman that we all aspire to be. He was my constant companion on many trips down to Washington to lobby politicians for the need to protect our island from ferocious storms. He was driven to protect our island.”
There are so many ways one could describe Mr. Dean: family man; councilman; fireman; friend; beach advocate; trusted businessman and neighbor are but a few. In the year since his passing, it’s abundantly clear that Mr. Dean has left an impact that will be evident in Avalon for many generations to come.
It’s also clear how lucky everyone in Avalon is that Mr. Dean believed that home is where the heart is. And his heart was always here in Avalon.
Marty Pagliughi probably sums up his old friend the best: “Avalon was very lucky to have Dick Dean.”