Dean Wickham Sly died peacefully in the presence of his beloved wife at their home in Warwick, New York on October 3, 2018, at the age of 82.
Dean is survived by his wife of 52 years, Patricia Gliesman Sly, and their children, John and Shelley Sly of Arnold, Maryland and their children, Evan Wickham Sly and Collin Patrick Sly, Linda Miller (nee Sly) and Bruce Miller of Slate Hill, New York and their children, Bruce Milton Miller and Luke William Miller, and Mark and Melissa Sly of Santa Monica, California and their children, Dorian Leigh Sly and Lydian Rose Sly. Also surviving are Dean’s brother, Leland Thomas Sly II, and sister, Judie Ruth Carr (nee Sly), and cousins, Ted Sly, Gary and Richard Masten, Joselle Trainor and Cynthia Powell, nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews and sisters in law, Dorothy Bortell and Marguerite McKenna. Dean is preceded in death by his father, Leland Thomas Sly, and his mother, Grace Madeline Evans (nee Keeney), together with his step-father, William Gordus Evans, and brothers, Leland Thomas Sly, Jr. and Herman Ross Sly, and grandchildren, Connor Michael Miller and Alyssa Grace Miller.
Dean was born on April 9, 1936, in Middletown, New York. After serving honorably in the U.S. Army he started his career in New York City as an insurance investigator and examiner. He moved to Warwick, New York with his wife, Patricia, and their young family in 1968. Dean received his B.A. from Mercy College and his Masters from SUNY New Paltz. He then fulfilled his lifelong dream to teach history to 7th and 8th graders until his retirement from Goshen Middle School in Goshen, New York.
Dean grew up loving baseball and, in particular, the Brooklyn Dodgers. In fact, he earned the nickname "Diamond" for his love of America's pastime. He was also a proud member of “Steelers Nation.”
Dean was an active member of St. Columba R.C., the Knights of Columbus Council #8637 in Chester, New York, and The Golden Floridians senior club.
Visitation will be on Sunday October 7, 2018, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, New York. A funeral Mass will be held on Monday, October 8 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Columba R.C. Church, 27 High Street, Chester, New York 10918 with interment immediately following in Warwick Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Dean’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105 or https://www.stjude.org/give.html