Dean E. Plese, Jr.

Dean E. Plese, Jr., 64, of Wilmington passed away on July 16, 2024 due to complications from bacterial pneumonia. Born in Joliet in 1960, Dean was the first of Dean and Judy Plese's six children, growing up in the family's home on Widows Road and was a lifelong resident of Wilmington. Gentle, kind and wise  by nature, Dean was a calming presence and patient leader. First with his brothers and sister where he showed a natural ability for quietly leading by example, and later with his own family who were his greatest joy. Dean was a very kind, supportive and loving son, brother, husband, father and grandfather and the happiness he received in his role in his large family gave him great contentment and deep personal fulfillment all his life.

Dean attended Wilmington area schools including St. Rose and Wilmington High School before going on to trade school, learning to become a pipe fitter, after which he worked in the trades for more than 40 years before he retired in 2022. He was a well-known and respected member of Pipefitters Local 597 who established many strong lifelong friendships among his peers which brought him much happiness.

Dean loved his hometown. He believed in giving back to his community and always supported the high school football team where he could often be seen in the stands cheering on his team. He enjoyed spending his free time with family and friends - particularly traveling to visit his sister and brothers or fishing at his lakefront home where he spent more than 45 years of summer vacations with family in the Orr, MN area.

Optimistic by nature, Dean never let the challenges that life dealt him affect his always cheerful outlook toward people and life in general. He simply saw the good in others and approached everything in life with an open and happy heart. He was truly an angel among us.

A man of deep faith all his life, Dean regularly attended St. Rose Church and later Island City Baptist Church where he was ordained as a Deacon in March of this year. His dedication to God provided both him and his family with a strong, unshakable foundation. That faith became especially important in the face of leukemia when he was diagnosed first in 1995 and again in 2022. He loved God, his family, his hometown and the Chicago sports teams. He will be dearly missed every day by all who knew and loved him.

Dean is survived by his loving wife Stacy, children Michael (Nicole) Plese and Breanna (Alex) Crippen and his granddaughter Fiona Violet; his stepchildren: Danielle (Charles) Eavenson, Josh (Sarah Markus) Henderson and her son, Logan, Elizabeth and Zach Henderson; his siblings David (Angela), Martin (Maureen), Maria, Eric (Christine) and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends all of whom loved him and heavily grieve his loss. He was predeceased by his parents and brother, Tony.

In honor of Dean's memory, please call someone dear to you today and tell them you love them. Today is a given, but tomorrow is never promised.

Cremation rites have been accorded.

The family will receive friends for a memorial visitation at Baskerville Funeral Home, 700 East Kahler Road in Wilmington on Sunday, July 21, 2024 between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. and again Monday morning July 22, 2024 at Island City Baptist Church, 120 Vine Street in Wilmington from 10:00 a.m. until time of memorial service 11:00 a.m. Pastor Jeff Logsdon will officiate.

Preferred memorials may be made as gifts in Dean’s memory to Kuzma Care Cottage, 635 S. Main Street, Wilmington, IL 60481 or to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Family and friends are encouraged to log onto www.BaskervilleFuneral.com to sign the guest book, upload photographs and share Dean’s memorial page online through social media.

Cremation services and memorial arrangements have been made under the direction and care of Reeves & Baskerville Funeral Homes and Crematory. (815-476-2181)