R. Dean Rothe

R. Dean Rothe

R. Dean Rothe was born at Lehi, Utah on August 23, 1920 to Max Burno Rothe and Anne Matilda Appleyard. He was the youngest of their eight children. Dean died on December 10, 2006 due to complications of pneumonia. He grew up in Lehi, Utah. His education began at the old Sego Lily Elementary School and finished when he graduated from Lehi High School. One of his first paying jobs was with the Utah Pickle Company, sorting cucumbers. Dean attended Utah State Agriculture College (Utah State University) for two years then put off his education by serving an LDS mission from 1940 to 1942 in the Texas/Louisiana mission. Following the completion of his mission he enlisted in the military and spent the next three years in the E.T.O.(Europe). He would earn three battle stars and a Bronze Star with Cluster. With the end of the war Dean returned to the states and was discharged January 1946. He enrolled at BYU. Graduating with a BS degree in marketing in the spring of 1947.
During the summer of 1947 his future mother in law reintroduced him to one of her daughters. On September 2, 1947 he married Dorothy Jane Norberg in the Salt Lake Temple. The couple was married by Harold B. Lee. They spent the next year and a half in New York City while he earned a Masters degree in retailing from New York University. After graduation he was hired by Ohrbachs, who then transferred him to Los Angeles to assist in opening their new store on Wilshire Blvd., (the Miracle Mile). He left Ohrbachs after eight years and started new career as a marketing professor at Santa Monica City College, teaching in the evenings, eventually ending up with the Santa Monica School District for the next 28 years in educational administration.
There were many opportunities for church service in California during the years following the war. Dean spent 10 years as Bishop and 21 years on the Santa Monica Stake High Council. Some of his best service was in the Explorer Scout program. He enjoyed their summer trips down the Colorado River and the following summer spending two weeks canoeing around the High Adventure Base in Minnesota.
Dean enjoyed his “projects” around the house. Whether it was building shelves for Dorothy’s “stuff”, fixing the sprinklers or just repairing something that needed a little attention. He loved doing these kind of chores and had great satisfaction when they were finished.
He retired in 1984 and moved to Providence, Utah and loved living here in “happy valley.” Dean and Dorothy served two missions together, first to Adelaide, Australia, and later to Munich, Germany. Together they have served 15 years as officiators at the Logan Temple. His garden and orchard(fifteen trees) and his pets(six chickens and two young steers during the summer months) gave him much pleasure and happiness. He was loved by his family, friends and neighbors, and he will be greatly missed.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy. His children; Sandra (Arlo) Mickelsen, who are serving in the Jacksonville, Florida Mission. David (Janet), Orem. Alan (Kathy) Sandy, and Bruce (Santa Clarita, CA). His 12 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his older brother, Fon. A viewing will be held on Friday, December 15th at Allen-Hall Mortuary, 34 East Center Street, Logan from 6-8 pm. The funeral service will be on Saturday, December 16th at the Fruitland Acres chapel, 464North 300 East, Providence, at 11:00 am. with a viewing prior to the service between 9:30 to 10:30 am. Interment will be at the Lehi City Cemetery.