Obituary of Dean Gerald Schanzenbach

“What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?...” Hamlet Act 2, Scene 2 Dean was born December 8th, 1929, and passed away on February 21st, 2011 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Dean graduated from Stadium High School and subsequently attended Bates Vocational School to learn carpentry skills, followed by a stint as a SeaBee in the Navy. A master craftsman, Dean went on to work as a Construction Superintendent for the Quadrant Corporation for many years before retiring. The center of his life was his family; Dean was married to Rosalie, the love of his life, for 53 years. Rosalie remembers that when she first met Dean she thought he was too good to be true. But after celebrating life with him for 53 years she knew him to truly be a good man with integrity who loved deeply and was devoted to his wife and children. Rosalie said that Dean also loved his work of building homes for people; he was always attentive to details and did not tolerate sloppy workmanship. Rosalie recounts that no problem was too difficult to solve nor any project that could not be completed… especially the projects dreamed up by his wife (she says “I told you he was an angel!”). Dean was always able to get along with people – everyone always responded to his good humour and high energy. He had an offbeat sense of humour that was inspired by the situation he was in, invariably finding the funny side of any difficulty he faced. In fact, after hearing Dean talk you wouldn’t believe that he was having any difficulty at all… Dean’s boundless energy, wit and humour meant that he cheerfully went on Boy Scout 50 mile hikes both before and after serving as a Scoutmaster for many years; that he climbed mountains for the sheer delight and was an active member of the Mountaineers; that he vacationed with his family in the wilderness to share the joy of God’s country with them and took trips to Europe to track down long lost relatives so he could shake their hands while introducing himself. Towards the end of his life Alzheimer’s was the final challenge he faced, but he did not face it alone. Rosalie was by his side and cared for him as always. And during the final three years of his life when the challenge was beyond Rosalie’s capacity to handle on her own, their daughter Jane and grandson Mario stepped up to take care of Dean, the love he had given them reflected in their loving care of him during the final stage of his life. Dean is survived by his loving wife Rosalie, daughter Jane McMillian (Rich), Dorie Moses (Frank), and son David Schanzenbach (Barb), and grandchildren Bryan, Mario, Robert and Dion. Special gratitude goes to his grandson Mario for his loving care around the clock during Dean’s long illness. There will be a gathering of Dean’s friends and family at Jane’s house on March 1st at 2:00 PM.