If you're reading this, I must be dead.  Bummer.  My name is Melodye Dean and I passed away on June 20, 2021.

I am a 1977 graduate of Xenia High School, by way of the Greene County Career Center.  I graduated from St. Leo University in Florida in 1981 with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting.  My career consisted of Accounting for non-profit organizations.  Not the best way to get rich, but rewarding in its own way.

I never married.  And, in case there is still anyone out there who wonders . . . No, I wasn't a lesbian.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  I've known gay people, had gay friends, and would take a gay person over any narrow minded individual who uses the bible to deprive other people of their human rights any day of the week.  But I digress.  The reason I never married is that I never met a man that I could stand to put up with any longer than a 3 day weekend.  Not that I wouldn't have liked to.  I would've.  I am grateful to my beloved parents for not raising me to believe there is something wrong with you if you aren't married.  I don't count not marrying among my regrets.

I do have regrets though.  My greatest regret is not having any children.  But, I had a tremendous amount of love and pride for my nieces and nephews.  I hope they think of me as more than just the really cool Aunt that I am.  I couldn't have loved them more.  They are Jacob Lott and his beautiful wife Natalia.  She too, means more to me than she knows.  She's a member of the family in every sense of the word.  Jacob is incredibly smart and funny as heck.   Their son Liam is 9 years old. They live in Syracuse, New York.  Summer Lott is so beautiful, both inside and out, and lives in New York City where she is changing the lives of her students.  She is the mother of twin boys. Jesiah and Jaylin are 8 years old. Proud isn't big enough of a word.  Philip Dean of Fairborn is so bright and sensible.  I hope I lived long enough to see what he'll achieve in life.  And Fie (Mary Beth) Dean of Fairborn is following her own path and controls her own destiny.  You've got to admire that. Lastly, Lucas Silva of Charlotte, North Carolina, is the sweetest young man you'll ever want to meet and also the world's best hugger.  He became a father in 2010 to my grand-niece Halle. She is 10 years old.

I was the youngest of 4 children.  My siblings:  Dan Dean (and my sister-in-law Mary Lou), Doug Dean, and Helen Kay Dean Rachels (and my brother-in-law Ret. Lt. Col. Jack).  I also have numerous other relatives in the Greene County area.  You know who you are.  I've always said you can't swing a dead cat in Greene County without hitting someone related to me.

My father, Dale Dean, passed away in 1992.  I've missed him ever since.  My mother, Beulah Purdin Dean, was my best friend, my roommate, and traveling partner since 1995.  I enjoyed every year, every vacation, and every laugh.  Spending her golden years with her was the biggest privilege of my life. She passed away in 2018.

My health had been failing for some time but I had the help of my extended family. I retired from Children's Medical Center in 2020. All things considered, it was a really good place to work.  In lieu of flowers, I would like donations to be made to CARE House at Children's Medical Center (One Children's Plaza, Dayton, OH  45404).  CARE House is a program for victims of child abuse.  I was there when the program started, doing the accounting for their grant funding.  It has a special place in my heart and they do wonderful, important work.  In case I have any friends left in Florida, or if you prefer, contributions could also be made to The Center for Women, Hyde Park Ave, Tampa, FL 33606 which is another of my non-profit employers and holds a fond place in my memory.

Private services will be held at a later date.  Online condolences may be made to the family at www.mccolaughfuneralhome.com.