Dean William DeVries, age 72, of Highland, Illinois, entered into rest on April 30, 2024, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, with family at his side.
He was born August 11, 1951, in Staunton, Illinois, the son and first child of the late Lawrence William DeVries and Melba Lorraine (Hartke) DeVries. He graduated from Staunton High School in 1969, where he participated in FFA and excelled on the football field. After high school, Dean joined the Air National Guard, serving honorably as a Staff Sergeant. Following his service, he helped run the family dairy farm in Staunton, and he later owned a dairy farm for fifteen years in rural Mount Olive, Illinois. In 1994, he transitioned careers to become a Real Estate Broker/Owner for ReMax, later advancing to a Senior Mortgage Loan Officer with Highlands Residential Mortgage and becoming a Certified Mortgage Advisor. He loved helping his clients realize their dreams of homeownership.
On a beautiful summer afternoon in June of 1996, he married the love of his life, Miriam Diane (Hartshorn), in Staunton, Illinois, surrounded by family and friends on the family farm. Theirs was truly a match made in heaven, giving their children a model of love and selflessness to aspire to.
Surviving are his beloved wife of 27 years, Miriam DeVries; his siblings, Barb (Dennis) Brackman of Staunton, Illinois, Glenn (Cheryl) DeVries of Staunton, Illinois, Al (Andrea) DeVries of Mount Olive, Illinois, sister-in-law Judy DeVries of Staunton, Illinois, Amy (Jim) Johnson of Livingston, Illinois, and Don (Rhonda) DeVries of Mount Olive, Illinois; his daughters, Julie (signficant other Stephen Sminchak) DeVries of Staunton, Illinois and Sarah (Corey) Ferry of Chicago, Illinois; his sons, Bill (Erin) DeVries of Edwardsville, Illinois, Jacob (Brandy) Boyd of St. Louis, Missouri, Matt (Dawn) DeVries of Mount Olive, Illinois, and Evan (Kathy) Danner of Oak Lawn, Illinois; nine grandchildren, Jeremy DeVries, Kaitlyn DeVries, Dylan DeVries, Grace DeVries, Brayton Danner, Aubrey DeVries, Lillian Danner, Nicholas Danner, and Hudson Danner; and great-grandson, Louie DeVries, all of whom he loved more than anything in this world.
Dean was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Melba DeVries; his brother, Jim DeVries; and his grandson, Alexander DeVries.
Dean’s greatest joys in life were spending time with his family and in service to his church and community, and serving himself was consistently the furthest thing from his mind. Everyone who knew Dean, whether personally or professionally, knew that God gave him the gifts of hospitality and service, which he exemplified to the fullest. He sang in the First Congregational Church choir and served the church as an Elder and security team member. He was also a 3rd degree Master Mason and Past Master of Highland Masonic Lodge #583, and he served as treasurer of the Highland American Legion Post 439.
He adored his children and grandchildren and attended as many games, practices, and milestones as possible. Always a fixture at family gatherings, Dean loved and gave generously to everyone. He could always be counted on for a warm hug and a boisterous laugh, even at his own jokes, which he loved to share. His children remember him for always being a willing listener and taking enormous pride in their accomplishments. It’s impossible to quantify the depth of unconditional love and warmth he showed his children and grandchildren, and even harder to articulate how much this meant to them.
Visitation will be Friday, May 3, 2024, from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Spengel-Boulanger Funeral Home in Highland. A funeral service will be held Saturday, May 4, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at First Congregational Church in Highland with internment at Highland City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Congregational Church, 801 Washington Street, Highland, IL 62249.
