Anthony (Tony) Lane Dean passed away peacefully at home on May 19, 2025 in Willow Springs, NC with his wife, Carolyn Marie (Thoerner) Dean, and other family and lifelong friends by his side.

Tony is survived by his brother Gerald Arlan Dean, sister-in-law, Mercedes L. Dean, niece Dana Dean and nephew Gregory Dean, his step-daughters Dulcie O'Connor and Amelia Hartsough, grandson Alston Lane Dean and step-granddaughter Adelaide O'Connor.  Tony is preceded in death by his son David C. Dean and his parents Dewey C. Dean and Alma Surratt Dean.

Tony was born in Radford, Virginia on November 16, 1955; and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, where he graduated from T.C. Williams High School.  Arlan, the older brother by 21 years, instilled in Tony the "Dean men's" commitment to brotherhood and love that is developed through deep, dear relationships with friends and family .

Following graduation Tony received technical training through Xerox where he dedicated 19 years of service. After an extensive career as an insurance auto claims estimator in Cary, North Carolina, Tony retired from North Carolina Farm Bureau to travel, camp, and pursue a higher level of master gunsmithing skills.  The shop was his sanctuary. It was where you could find him chatting with his buddies any time he wasn't at work. His long-standing passions built strong personal alliances and numerous stories with his hunting buddies. Even though he didn't always bring home a trophy deer, we had many field sweet potatoes from his hunting excursions.

Tony was a devoted father to his only son, David Dean. They shared a tight bond, spending time watching NASCAR races and talking in the shop. After Alston was born, the two grew even closer, deepening their father-son relationship. With his marriage to Carolyn, he welcomed two teenage daughters into his home. As a father, Tony taught many life lessons, but his best lesson was that your true heartfelt friendships are lifelong bonds. Tony worked hard to keep his relationships and showed gratitude to his friends for their support.

A gravesite funeral will be held at West End Cemetery in Wytheville, Virginia on Saturday May 24, at 1 pm; where his son, mother, and father are buried. A reception to celebrate his friendships and swap hunting laughs will immediately follow at Fairfield Inn & Suites.

To celebrate the life of Tony, and his family commitment feel free to donate to his grandson Alston's college fund with this link: https://backer.com/alstonscollegefund

Tony's last few days were supported by the caring and kindness of hospice care, feel free to donate to the non-profit that assisted in his last days with this link: https://www.transitionslifecare.org/donate/