Dean T. Wickstrom Tribute

def. Surreal: having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream: unreal.

I remember the morning I woke to see jets hitting the buildings on 9-11....Disblief took over.

I just couldn't relate to such a fantastical event.

It seemed then, and still remains, an impossibility.

The day I checked my email and read the "tag line" of my friend Dean, was exactly the same.

I just sat back in my chair and stared at the screen, I must have read it 20 times and I couldn't believe my eyes.

Just like 9-11, and even at this moment, it still seems impossible that I will never see my smiling, solid, friend.

Dean and Toni have been my "over the fence" neighbors for the better part of a decade. I see them almost daily and I've had the fortune to share Thanksgiving at their table.

Although Dean was my "always ready to go" kayaking and mountain biking buddy, the fact is, he was much more.

He was one of those special people with a relentlessly "sunny" outlook, upbeat, and smiling.

One of those rare friends that asks "how are you"? ....as more than a rhetorical question.

Someone who was always looking to give more than he took, and did all he could to help you succeed in whatever you are pursuing.

To my way of thinking he was the definition of a "sweetheart of a guy".

I never heard him use a "blue" word. Not even for effect. Not once. Ever.

I know how principled Dean was, and his aura exudes a rare trustworthiness.

I appreciated how deeply he cared for our country, with a strong
"common sense" approach based on a solid knowledge of past political events.

I found one of his greatest qualities to be his complete tolerance of his liberal friends, whose opinions he saw as being based on political fashion driven by empty rhetoric, as opposed to common sense derived from historical lessons.

He chuckled at being quite gratified to see them "finally coming around" in the past year due to a government that has lost its way on sustaining the standard of life we have come to expect. Dean was a solid no-nonsense patriot.

If you are reading this you already know how much he prized his health, and highly admired his many friends that did as well.

Dean was 15 years my senior, but would gladly go for an hour of kayaking, despite the fact he swam a mile that morning..

Last September we paddled our kayaks out to the kelp beds, tied up, donned snorkel gear and dove for a few hours. Not bad for a 70 year old.

He never lost sight that he was blessed to be able to enjoy the ocean every day, and he really was a "water baby" more than anyone else I know...

Speaking of being 70+, I never actually knew his age. My guess was quite a bit younger, which I suppose was due to his overall presence, as much as physical appearance.

Despite the fact I am still in denial about his passing, I feel a certain peace when I think over our conversations about how happy he was to be with a partner and family that were full of life , and shared his interests, yet were still progressing as individuals in personal and
professional pursuits.

In closing, one of the greatest gifts from any friend is the lessons they teach us.

Dean exemplified the need to 'play a little" and be sure to enjoy every single day...while working diligently.

I think if I could quantify him in terms of "total enjoyment time" ( this is really what counts on life's scoreboard right?) Dean was a true winner has already surpassed most all of us.

I somehow find the void that is left to be a sweet sorrow, that I will surley get "used to"...but will never "get over"...

Surely now you "know the truth" . We will see each other on the other side....

Thank you for being such a great friend, you added so much to my life.