Father, educator, US Navy veteran

Dean Allen Holcomb, 81, of Claremont, died peacefully at home with his wife and son by his side on August 8.

Dean was born in rural Wisconsin in February of 1942 to Luverne and Mildred Holcomb. He was the first born of eight children and attended a one-room country schoolhouse. His family later moved to Monroe, Wisconsin where he completed high school, the class of 1960.

After high school he traveled the world for two years in the United States Navy and was aboard the flagship destroyer during the Cuban Missile Crisis, tracking and surfacing Russian submarines. He went on to graduate from University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, earning a biology degree with a minor in English, art, and education.

He began his teaching career at Park Avenue Continuation High School in Pomona in 1968 and furthered his education in graduate school, earning master’s degrees in education and school administration. He went on to work as director of student activities at Garey High School, where he also taught English. He then taught English at Palomares Middle School before retiring in 2001 after a 33-year career in education.

In 1980 he married Cindy, and in 1989 his life was, in his words, made complete with the birth of his son, Dean Jr.

He was a 47-year resident of Claremont, purchasing his Padua Hills home in 1976. He loved his Claremont home but also spent time recreating at his Topock, Arizona residence near the Colorado River. He enjoyed boating, fishing, and exploring off-road destinations in the desert.

He was also a proud veteran and member of the Topock VFW post where he ran weekly pool tournaments and held leadership roles. He also enjoyed many summer cross-country motorhome excursions to destinations from Key West, Florida to upstate New York, with many trips to visit family in Wisconsin.

He is survived by his wife, Cindy; son, Dean Jr.; brothers Larry, Jeff, and Randy; and sisters Carolynn, Mary Rose, and Kandy.