Curtis, Dean Weston

Mar 13, 1945 - Jan 15, 2021

Dean Weston Curtis passed peacefully early in the morning of Friday, January 15, 2021, due to complications of Parkinson’s Disease. He was a son, brother, uncle, father, grandfather, and a friend to nearly every person and creature he met.

Dean lived a full life of adventures. Born in South Bend, Indiana, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from Butler University, and did post graduate studies in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin. He and his wife, Georgiann, made the difficult decision to immigrate to Canada in 1969. They lived in New Westminster while Dean earned a teaching degree from SFU. He and Georgiann then lived on a farm in the South Okanagan, homesteaded in the Yukon, taught at an elementary school in Klemtu in the coastal fjords of BC, built and lived in a rustic A-frame in the wild forest outside of Nelson, and became parents to their daughter, Shaundra. Dean then followed his heart to the ocean, where he lived on his sailboat in Coal Harbour in Vancouver for 30 years.

He loved nature and sunshine and his daughter and granddaughters above all else. He loved to laugh and hated to be constrained. Dean was a teacher and counsellor. However, he was better known for his charismatic and passionate presence. He was fun-loving, romantic, easy-going, and an excellent musician and singer. Throughout his life it is doubtful that there were many people that knew him that weren't influenced by him.
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In Dean’s own words:
“Dean lived his life consistent with his deepest, highest, most important values. He also encouraged and supported all of the people on this planet to be aware of, honour, live and manifest their deepest, highest, most important values. Dean was a man of many qualities. He was ResponseAble, authentic, honest, open, assertive, intelligent, wise, profound, profane, young at heart, old soul, youthful, elder, father, loving, loveable, evolved and evolving, open to learning, playful, caring, sensual, hedonistic, appreciative, warm, cool, present,  mentor,  master, leader, divine, primal, facilitator, humorous, light, serious, deep, bold, confident, wild, far and high and deep seeing, lover, friend,  challenging, celebrating, encouraging, inspiring, fit, strong, reverent, spiritual, natural, male;  appreciative of and celebrating beauty, nature, the masculine, the feminine, this divine, primal God/Goddess dance; simple, complex, paradoxical, self aware, humble.”

Dean is survived by his daughter, Shaundra (Jeneah), granddaughters Sylvie, Mabel, Raeya, Addysen, and Maelle, son-in-law Ken, nephew Mike, great-niece Christina, his chosen brothers John (Malerie), Les, Leonard, Dieter, David, Ken, Dan, and former spouses Georgiann and Sylvia. He is predeceased by his parents, Charlie and Beatrice, sister Sharley, and niece Kimberly.

Dean’s earthly remains have been interred in the Green Burial Garden at Heritage Gardens Cemetery, 19082 16th Ave, South Surrey. A celebration of his life is postponed until such time as we may safely gather and honour his wishes that we all continue to “PARTY ON!” 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Greenpeace or Parkinson Canada.