Obituary of Dean Lester Draeger

Dean Lester Draeger passed away February 10^th, 2021 from organ failure in Gig Harbor, Washington at the age of 66.  Dean was born in Seattle, Washington to George and Lorraine Draeger. He was the youngest of four boys. Raised on a farm in Home, Washington, he graduated from Peninsula High School in 1973. He studied automotive repair for a year in Phoenix, Arizona. In June of 1975, he married Sharon Lewis. Their son, Christopher, was born in 1976. Dean and Sharon divorced in 1979. Over the years, Dean worked many jobs before finding his niche, with his brothers at Draeger Land and Homes, and learned the construction trade. He went on to start his own business, Double D Construction, which became Draeger Construction with his nephew Kim Draeger. In 1993 Dean fell off a second-story roof, shattering both legs and pulverizing several vertebrae. Unable to continue manual labor, he went back to college to earn Associate degrees in Construction Management and Accounting. There he met and fell in love with his second wife, Cynthia Murdock. They married in 1999 and he became stepfather to her four children. Together they opened Draeger Accounting and Tax Services. Sadly, Dean was widowed in 2009. In 2017 he became guardian to grandson, Edward. He retired In January of 2021.

Dean loved life, nature, and people and enjoyed them all to the fullest. He was involved with the Performance Circle Theater as a performer, set builder, and for a time he sat on the board of directors. He helped create Washington Renaissance and Fantasy Faire which ran for 10 years and Ringcon, a convention, which ran for 3 years celebrating the Lord of the Rings. Dean was also a member of the A Capella group Technical Difficulties for 15 years.

He is survived by brothers and sisters-in-law: Roland and Judy Draeger, Wendel and Karina Draeger, Taffy Draeger, Cathy Carr, Marcia Crelling, and Bill Murdock; Son: Christopher; Stepchildren: David Smith, Michael and Judy Smith, Jessica and Jacob Schaefer, and Robert Smith; Grandchildren: Jacob Smith, Alexis and Kaylee Draeger, Mia White, Cody Smith, Shawn De La Torre, Christina Hernandez, and Edward Schaefer; a multitude of cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, and many others he cared about like his own his kids.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Cynthia, and brother Ronald. Dean was kind, caring, and much loved. He will be greatly missed.