Dean Mathis' Obituary
Dean Mathis, 86, of Gainesville, Florida, passed away on January 28, 2025, at his daughter’s home in Richland, Michigan.
A memorial service will be held at Williams-Thomas Westarea Chapel, 823 NW 143rd Street, Newberry, FL 32669, on Saturday February 22, 2025, at 2:00 P.M.
Dean was born in Hickory, North Carolina on August 29, 1938, and at an early age moved to Bell, Florida. He graduated from Bell High School, married his childhood sweetheart, Julanne Bright and enlisted in the Navy. The Navy took Dean and his family to several states, and they settled in Michigan, where he retired from the Navy in 1977 after 20 years and subsequently worked in administration for electrical utility construction companies until he permanently retired and moved to Ocean Isle Beach, NC in 1991, at the age of 53. He was an avid golfer well into his 70’s and he and Julanne travelled frequently. Several years after Julanne passed away in 2009, Dean returned to Florida to live in Gainesville with his lifelong friend Emily Gay.
Dean is survived by three children, David (Wendy), Robert (Deidree), and Christine (Jeff), seven grandchildren, Lindsey and Andrew (David), Monica, Jessica and Mark (Robert), and Angela and Justin (Christine), and three great grandchildren Nova (Lindsey), Riley and Ava (Justin).
A private service will be held for the family at a later date to dedicate Dean’s and Julanne’s ashes. In Lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Veterans' organizations in your area.
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