Dean Anderson Obituary

Dwight Dean Anderson, 92, passed away peacefully with family at his side at the Central Montana Medical Center in Lewistown, MT on March 6, 2025.
Dean was born in 1933 in Akron, Iowa to Dwight and Jesse Anderson. He grew up with two sisters, Jane and Mary Jo, and spent most of his childhood in Clear Lake, IA, where his father was a high school chemistry teacher. In 1950, his family moved to Cedar Rapids, IA and he graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1951.
After high school, Dean completed a BA and an MA at the University of Iowa. He then enrolled at the U of Iowa's College of Dentistry, earning his DDS in 1959. Dean was a lifelong Iowa Hawkeye fanatic, followed their wrestling program religiously, and never missed an opportunity to watch Caitlin Clark.
Upon finishing dental school, Dean moved to Lewistown, MT with his first wife, Patricia Zastrow, and set up a private practice. Together, they had three sons, Scott, Eirik, and Christian. In 1980, he married Betty Walters and had two more children, Mark and Laura. At the time of his passing, Dean and Betty had been married 44 years, and he treasured the life they built together.
Dean was a man of many hobbies (and a bit of a perfectionist with each). In his younger years, he enjoyed golf, skiing, photography (he built a dark room in his basement), reloading, model airplane building, and playing bridge. He was a fly-fishing and fly-tying aficionado and competed nationally in fly-casting competitions. Throughout his life, Dean was a voracious consumer of knowledge. He loved learning for the sake of learning and could speak proficiently on topics ranging from economics and politics to birdwatching and aquatic entomology. Dean also loved to write and was a stickler for proper grammar. In his memory, we made sure to thoroughly proofread and copy edit this obituary!
Dean was deeply proud of his five children: Scott, Eirik (Bonnie), Christian (Nong), Mark (Lindsay), and Laura (Jay). He loved his nine grandchildren (Hayley, Hunter, Hannalise, Tyler, Taylor, Charlotte, Camden, Holden, and Anders) and three great-grandchildren (Mia, Marshall, and Tomi). Dean is preceded in death by his sister, Mary Jo, and his son, Christian.
In lieu of a service, there will be a private family gathering this summer. In honor of his name, please consider donating to Mending Waters Montana, a program dedicated to healing veterans through fishing and nature (www.mendingwatersmontana.org).
Arrangements are under the care of Creel Funeral Home. Dean's family and friends can share memories and condolences at www.creelfuneralhome.com
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