Douglas Dean of Holyoke died on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at the Veterans Home at Holyoke. Born on June 19, 1928, he was the only child of John Elmer Dean and Cecile Carmelita Collins, and for over 58 years, the husband of Muriel Louise Doherty, who preceded him in death in 2011. Doug leaves behind his two sons and their families—David Dean (Steve Lowinger) of San Francisco and Steven Dean (Jessie) of Nellysford, Virginia—along with four grandchildren he was endlessly proud of: Luke Van Dorn Dean (Porsche), Samuel Austin Dean Lowinger, Emily Cecile Dean Clemmer (Bart Clemmer), and Jeffrey Allen Dean (Hannah Hanks). He also delighted in his four great-grandchildren: Astrid, Adam, Betty, and Stevie. Doug often joked that his birth may have been a “miracle,” since he arrived on the day after his young parents were married. He also liked to say he had no middle name because his family was “too poor to afford one.” Raised in South Holyoke by his parents and his grandmother, Lily Spenlinhauer Dean, he grew up in a series of small apartments, surrounded by love, hard work, and the constant hum of the city. Doug’s parents’ values centered on family, education, and hard work. So, Doug applied himself at school and started working early—first at the brand-new A&P Market on High Street, and later, on the hot, humid night shift at Dreikorn’s Bread bakery. He graduated from Holyoke High and then the University of Massachusetts with a BS degree in Chemistry, before serving in the U.S. Army at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. When he returned home, he and Muriel settled on Edbert Drive, where they built a busy family life. Doug pursued his career as the Lab Manager at the Moore Drop Forge Company (later Easco) in Springfield where he worked for over 30 years before his retirement. He also became an expert at home maintenance, adding woodwork features to the house and perfecting the installation of wallpaper throughout the home, updating it every few years. Holyoke was always “home,” and Doug embraced every part of it. From the day the Holyoke Senior Center opened, he showed up nearly daily—with Muriel or with his dear friend Tony Ferreira. Morning coffee there was practically a ritual, and he loved the new friends he made and the sense of community he found. He felt Tony’s loss deeply when Tony passed in 2024. Doug had a wonderfully curious mind. He loved reading and writing poetry. He was a big reader of science and history books, as well as fiction. And he was passionate about solving the morning puzzles in the Springfield newspapers. He had a lifelong fascination with math and even enrolled in a night-school calculus class just for fun. And he was a very enthusiastic circus fan—so much so that in 1994 he was elected President of the Father Edward Sulliven Tent #118 of the Greater Boston Circus Fans of America. Once he retired, Doug also became an active backyard gardener and was known throughout the neighborhood for his annual robust crop of tomatoes. He lived a long, full life—rooted in family, community, curiosity, and the city he called home. Doug’s cremains will be interned at the Forestdale Cemetery in the family plot. A memorial service will be scheduled for a future date.