Dean E. DeVries
| Date of Interment or Death | 04/18/2025 |
|---|---|
| Location | Garden of Prayer |
| Block and Lot | 80A |
| Grave | 2 |
Obituary
Dean DeVries, of Burnsville, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2025 at Fairview Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, with his sister by his side.
Dean was born on March 18, 1960, in Fargo, ND. He is the son of Dale (Bud) and Vernice (Vernie) DeVries. He was the apple of their eye as they had waited 8 years for a child. Two years later he welcomed his sister Sherri into the family. Many memories were made, going on camping trips and fishing. Dean would always try to out fish his mom, which was almost always an impossible task. As a young man he was a gifted chess player, Dean not only competed in tournaments across the Midwest but also maintained numerous, simultaneous games through correspondence chess, exchanging moves via postcard with fellow enthusiasts across the country.
Throughout his life, Dean was a devoted son & brother. Once he earned his driver’s license, he was always willing to give Sherri a ride into town—so long as she paid his standard fare of 25 cents, which never exceeded the cost of the gas he promptly pumped to allow the journey. He also had a love for animals. Dean would bring a wounded bird home and he and his mom would nurse it back to health and then let it go. Dean also had a great love for dogs, especially German Shepards. When his parents lived in the nursing home, he would always bring them in for a visit, which would bring a smile to many. His mom passed away in November 2017, and his dad in January 2020.
Dean pursued his passion for psychology, earning his bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University, Fargo and later obtaining a master’s degree in psychology from Indiana State University in Terre Haute. He began his career as a psychologist working in state hospitals and correctional facilities. In 2001, he founded Safely Center Inc., dedicating his expertise to serving the psychological needs of an often-overlooked, marginalized population.
In addition to his professional work, Dean was deeply committed to humanitarian efforts, particularly those addressing hunger and food insecurity. In 2004, he began his collaboration with Community Restoration Ministries in Cape Town, South Africa, solely funding the church and outreach meal program for decades. His charitable work expanded to Durban, South Africa, in 2011. Since his passing, the family has received numerous testimonials from individuals whose lives Dean profoundly impacted—providing them with tools such as cars, computers, tuition for trade programs, and required school uniforms.
In 2007, Dean’s greatest joy was when his son Isaac was born. To anyone who knew Dean, it was clear that nothing in the world mattered more to him than his beloved son. He took immense pride in watching Isaac grow into the remarkable young man he is today.
In 2010, Dean embarked on a journey to locate his birth parents, hoping to meet them while they were still alive. While his father had passed in 1979, his mother was overjoyed in the highest imaginable way to reconnect with him. At Dean’s request, she taught him her favorite pastime—still-life and landscape oil painting. After her passing from cancer in 2013, Dean continued painting, creating hundreds of works. In 2016 and 2017, he showcased around 45 of his paintings in gallery exhibitions in Wisconsin. His passion for art extended to his newly discovered biological brothers, whom he encouraged and tutored in painting.
Dean had a gift for teaching art, helping others embrace painting as a form of therapy and self-expression. His distinctive abstract style focused on storytelling, incorporating moments of reflection where he would ask each evolving piece what it wanted to become.
Dean may have been at his happiest hosting large family get-togethers where his parents, Bud would play guitar and Bud and Vernie would sing.
Dean was preceded in death by his parents, Bud and Vernie DeVries; birth mother Bernice Scheele.
Dean is survived by his son, Isaac; his sister, Sherri (Marston) Metcalf, his nephews and niece, Dean (Jenny Anderson) Johnson, Ryan (Kari) Johnson, Cody Metcalf and Aly (Aaron) Stone; his great nieces and nephews; and his brothers, Norman(Chuck) (Anjia) Larsen and Clint (Monica) Larsen, and special friend Linus Nyamb.
Dean’s life was one of deep intellectual curiosity, generosity, and artistic expression. He leaves behind a legacy of compassion, creativity, and dedication to those in need. He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Location
The Garden of Prayer is located in the Memorial Gardens, which comprises the northern half of the cemetery.