Dean Mark Hlad

Dean Mark Hlad was born July 12, 1961 in Salina, KS, to Edward and Mildred Hlad. He went to be with his Lord on July 9, 2015 in Edmond, OK, after bravely fighting brain cancer for over a year. Dean was the man you wanted your son to become. He was an outdoorsman, a handyman, a man's man, a family man, and above all a Godly man. Dean accepted Christ as his savior at a young age and committed his life to serving & glorifying Him in all that he did. He graduated from Sylvan Unified High School and then went on to study Bible at Faith Baptist Bible College. It was during his time at Faith that he met what would become his wife and best friend of more than 32 years, Dawn Doggett. Dean was a guy that had to be productive. Whether it was woodworking, gardening, mowing, or welding in his shop, he had to stay busy. His welding expertise was perfected when he completed his prized smoker. He quickly mastered the art of smoking meats and was prompt in sharing his new found talent with friends, neighbors, and at various church gatherings. He had a love for restoring John Deere tractor mowers. Although his intent was always to restore and sell, that didn't always happen as he hated to let them go and that gave him quite the collection. Dean always enjoyed any time he could spend hunting, fishing, or boating. He often made Canadian summer trips to fulfill his itch for fishing. One trait that could certainly not be overlooked was that of true integrity. If Dean said it, it was true. He was easy to trust. Dean truly lived out for the better a quote by Dan Reeves, "You can tell the character of a man by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him." It was this trustworthy integrity along with his ever present grin that made him so respected in his career with Devon Energy in OKC as a field and land representative. Dean is survived by his wife, Dawn; children, Laura Dunwoody and husband Jason, Leah Wilson and husband Ryan, Landon Hlad, and Lane Hlad; as well as his grandchildren, Sawyer and Emmalyn Dunwoody. He will also be missed by his parents, Edward & Mildred Hlad of Sylvan, KS; his in-laws, Lanny & Iva Doggett; his sisters, Janet Bryan & Rosalie Traver; and a brother, Dale Hlad.