My Mom, DeAnn W. D'lean, was Dean's 1st cousin. We will miss him. The icon reminds me of his Mozerati he owned when I was 4 years old. I loved his car so much I made a model of a yellow Mozerati and kept it near my bed.

My Father was Newton H. Wickstom, Deans cousin. I often remember getting to go down to the beach to visit Dean and his family. My father had a great love for Dean and that whole side of the family. I remember talking with Dean and his wonderful personality. I was glad to see him when he came out to visit us at my Moms passing. It is hard to keep in touch with all of you. I hope at some point we can keep in touch. If anyone wants to ever contact me, just email me at twickstr@yahoo.com

Dean and I were at the opposite ends of every poilitical argument. Dean loved to engage in such discussions as much for sport as for expressing his personal convictions. I imagine him asking St Peter if he is "still for Obama". I was surprised and delighted to find that the man I disagreed with so vehemently "on line" was such a gracious and good soul in person. That is the good man I will remember and dearly miss. God Bless You Dean, Happy Trails

Dear Toni and Blakley, How deeply sorry I am for your loss, and how wonderful your memories are. He will always live on in you hearts and never be far. His love for you was so strong and rich in depth that you will always feel his arms around you. Erik and I send our prayers for you two. Cheryl K

Dean, you'll be missed by many. Toni, Blakely, Rylen, my heartfelt sympathy. Love & hugs, Connie

Dean was my step-dad for nearly 4 decades. He was the most solid father figure in my life. He never referred to me as his step-daugher he always referred to me as his daughter. Dean believed in the good in all things and lived by example. He taught me the power of the mind and was the first to point out "stinkin' thinkin". Over the years there were moments that I thought he was delusional in his ever positive outlook. However, I learned as I got older, that his approach; his undying positivity always endured and in the long run it won again and again and again. Being home the thing I miss the most is the sounds of him rustling about in the early morning - singing or making other loud happy noises. I miss the neck and shoulder rubs. He gave one heck of a good neck and shoulder massage! I miss his laugh, I miss the way he engaged me in conversation and was always interested in what you had to say - even if we didn't agree. So much of who I am has been influenced by my relationship with him. So I know that his spirit lives inside of me. I am grateful for that and am so grateful that he left this world on his terms, without sacrificing his beliefs and doing what he loved. I can only aspire to do the same.

Exuberance. Fully in and as Light. Joy Wondrous curiosity. That's what comes instantly and blossoms when pondering Dean. Although my husband, Jay, and I met Dean less than a year ago, I felt the presence of Divine Destiny immediately following the first glance, even before the first hello. Sometimes, these things are more obvious than others. This time, the Light that eminated was unmistakable. I feel deeply grateful for every moment spent in his and Tony's company, for the bike rides on the beach and the walks, for the conversations of Spirit, for the Silence, and most of all perhaps, for the deep and lasting friendship that brought so much joy to my husband, Jay. He made such an impression upon us in such a short conceptual window, that it is impossible to imagine how much he will be missed by those who have dearly loved him. For Jay and I, He is with us every moment eternally. Where else could he possibly Be. For that, there is such tremendous gratitude.

The Scientist Dean Wickstrom was one of the most remarkable men I've ever met, possessing a joy and confidence that comes from a lifetime of awareeness of the presence of God. I met Dean six months ago in a class of spiritual seekers and it was a fast friendship, in Spanish it’s called simpatico. Dean had a lightness and grace about him, emanating from an experience of God. He applied the same dedication and commitment he exemplified as an athelete in cultivation of his relationship with the One. When Dean and I had business meetings, we meditated prior to speaking. We committed to making an experiment of allowing Infinite Spirit to direct the enterprise, instead of our finite minds. I assure you the experiment is a success. Though his “ earth suit” will be missed, I will continue to rely upon his friendship and counsel. The Dean I knew was quick to laugh and slow to anger, I never saw him laugh at anyone. He was always laughing at himself. He got the joke. If God's first language is Silence, then the second is Laughter. If I ever want to find my friend, Dean, I know I can always find him in somewhere between the two.

What I will remember most about my dad is his warm smile and his incredibly kind and calm nature. How he always did the "right thing" without even having to think about it. He was an amazing role model as his values and morals never wavered. He taught me right from wrong by example. He would drop anything to lend me an ear and whenever I needed him he was there with support and a positive outlook. He was a goofball, a prankster and an amazing story teller. He woke up in the morning singing (some god awful tune he made up, he had songs for EVERYTHING!), his yawns rattled the windows (that drove my mom nuts!), and his favorite ice cream: rocky road. He was my biggest fan (well, next to my mom) and was there for nearly all my events. Downing whatever lame promo hat or shirt became of them with pride for years. My dad and I may not have always seen eye to eye and sometimes his beliefs frustrated and challenged me but ultimately I appreciate his was of thinking for opening my own mind, empowering me and and giving me the gift of independent thought. I miss you so much already daddy and I still cant believe you are not just sitting in your office working away. I cant imagine my life without you, your support, insight and love. It breaks my heart to think about Christmas without your pies and that you wont be there if I ever get married or have a child of my own someday. I will take care of mom for you and try my best to remember that you are still here. I was so blessed to have you as my father you truly were an amazing man.

Gardner Powell

12 years ago

Dear Blakely and Toni, I am so sorry to hear that you lost Dean. I wish I knew something to say that could help. I know he loved you, and I am glad you have each other to hold onto. I will remember to tell all my family how much I love them today. With love from your friend, Gardner

I did not know Dean well but always knew who he was in high school - a cool and hansom guy ! . The memory which popped up when hearing of his passing is probably from the 10th grade. One morning Dean was relating his adventure of the night before. Apparently the folks weren't home and Dean and a buddy had "borrowed" one of the family cars and gone out cruising around. A rather bold and impressive accomplishment at age 15 to the possibly less adventurous! My sincere condolences to his family. Rest in peace Dean and live on in the hearts of all who knew you!

It is impossible to actually imagine my finite life without Dean in it. We have known each other for 41 years and married for 37. He was a wonderful friend, a trusting soul, that yes, did look for the good in everyone and everything. He was quirky and at many times obsessive. The one place he never wavered was in his absolute spirituality and love of God... He lived his life fearlessly, He loved the sun. He loved the Ocean, He loved his home. He loved being active . He worked hard, and he played hard. He LOVED to eat!!!!! Never gained a pound. Infuriating!! He loved his family and friends. Blakely was his pride and joy. His amazing child. He loved Rylen as his own. (the daughter he helped raise from the time she was 6 yrs old. Our darling Granddaughter Rhianna warmed his heart and, he always looked forward to his time with Simon (our son in law) who pretty much shared all his outdoor passions. Last but not least, He loved Me!!!. We shared so many wonderful times, so many wonderful friends. Things were not always perfect, but he was always there when I really needed him. We somewhat balanced each other. I was not ready to lose him. I will miss him for a long time, and , I will always love him.

I had forgotten Mr. Wickstrom throughout the years, not having had any contact with him. There were times we had together in high school, but they are a distant memory and not well served due to the decades since. Judging by your friends and lifestyle, you served your term well and you will be missed.. Had I known you lived close by, I would have made it a point to look you up. RIP, Dean. See you on the other side.

I am at a loss as to what to say..... Dean and Toni became such a big part of my life! In the early 70's we met on the beach on Balboa Island when Steve Leo walked down to introduce himself and invite me to have a smoothie with all of them at Hemingways juice bar! That in itself should say something about the wholesomeness of this relationship of 4!!! Dean and Steve were roommates and as I was integrated into the relationship the four of us were pretty constantly together, especially as I became Boo Boo's crew!! While most of the Hobie cat crowd enjoyed partying after races, the four of us enjoyed Ovaltine (Dean's influence!!!!) As Dean and Toni's relationship had it's up and downs, I watched as their love deepened and commitment was reached. I was fortunate to be Toni's Maid-of-Honor in their wedding, and always felt blessed to be a part of their "extended" family. As we both raised our respective families, our lives took on different shapes for awhile. I feel blessed to have reconnected, but I also feel sad that Dean has now left our planet..... Dean, I look forward to seeing you again in a renewed form!!!!!!! I will recognize you by your gentleness, quiet demeanor, humor, and adorable smile!! I will help look over your Toni for you!!!!!!

RIP Deano. Toni, Blakely, my condolences. Gone too soon.

def. Surreal: having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream: unreal. I remember the morning I woke to see jets hitting the buildings on 9-11....Disblief took over. I just couldn't relate to such a fantastical event. It seemed then, and still remains, an impossibility. The day I checked my email and read the "tag line" of my friend Dean, was exactly the same. I just sat back in my chair and stared at the screen, I must have read it 20 times and I couldn't believe my eyes. Just like 9-11, and even at this moment, it still seems impossible that I will never see my smiling, solid, friend. Dean and Toni have been my "over the fence" neighbors for the better part of a decade. I see them almost daily and I've had the fortune to share Thanksgiving at their table. Although Dean was my "always ready to go" kayaking and mountain biking buddy, the fact is, he was much more. He was one of those special people with a relentlessly "sunny" outlook, upbeat, and smiling. One of those rare friends that asks "how are you"? ....as more than a rhetorical question. Someone who was always looking to give more than he took, and did all he could to help you succeed in whatever you are pursuing. To my way of thinking he was the definition of a "sweetheart of a guy". I never heard him use a "blue" word. Not even for effect. Not once. Ever. I know how principled Dean was, and his aura exudes a rare trustworthiness. I appreciated how deeply he cared for our country, with a strong "common sense" approach based on a solid knowledge of past political events. I found one of his greatest qualities to be his complete tolerance of his liberal friends, whose opinions he saw as being based on political fashion driven by empty rhetoric, as opposed to common sense derived from historical lessons. He chuckled at being quite gratified to see them "finally coming around" in the past year due to a government that has lost its way on sustaining the standard of life we have come to expect. Dean was a solid no-nonsense patriot. If you are reading this you already know how much he prized his health, and highly admired his many friends that did as well. Dean was 15 years my senior, but would gladly go for an hour of kayaking, despite the fact he swam a mile that morning.. Last September we paddled our kayaks out to the kelp beds, tied up, donned snorkel gear and dove for a few hours. Not bad for a 70 year old. He never lost sight that he was blessed to be able to enjoy the ocean every day, and he really was a "water baby" more than anyone else I know... Speaking of being 70+, I never actually knew his age. My guess was quite a bit younger, which I suppose was due to his overall presence, as much as physical appearance. Despite the fact I am still in denial about his passing, I feel a certain peace when I think over our conversations about how happy he was to be with a partner and family that were full of life , and shared his interests, yet were still progressing as individuals in personal and professional pursuits. In closing, one of the greatest gifts from any friend is the lessons they teach us. Dean exemplified the need to 'play a little" and be sure to enjoy every single day...while working diligently. I think if I could quantify him in terms of "total enjoyment time" ( this is really what counts on life's scoreboard right?) Dean was a true winner has already surpassed most all of us. I somehow find the void that is left to be a sweet sorrow, that I will surley get "used to"...but will never "get over"... Surely now you "know the truth" . We will see each other on the other side.... Thank you for being such a great friend, you added so much to my life.

When people ask me about my business partner, my response is, "Dean is one of the top 10 nicest humans in the history of the world. You can't not like Dean." We were partners for probably around 15 years or so. Never had a written agreement. That's a level of respect and trust that you don't often find these days. Never had an argument or issue about anything. Sure, we went back and forth about approaches to clients…strategies and tactics…the best solutions to problems. But those were healthy discussions that never evolved into anything close to real arguments or issues that interfered with our personal or professional relationship. Not once. Not ever. That made working with and being with Dean productive, easy, and fun. It was such a pleasure to be in business with a man with such a strong work ethic (pretty much 24/7), such a strong moral and ethical sense (you couldn't get Dean to get close to even the appearance of something untoward or unethical), such a clear sense of honesty and loyalty, and who I knew I could trust no matter what. With my life, I believe, if it ever came to that. Since Dean and I both worked "virtually" it's sort of funny how close we were and yet how little I actually saw him. Especially relative to how much time we spent on the phone. When I was with my daughters they'd laugh every time the phone rang or every time I said I had to make a call…they knew who it was. Even when I was babysitting my grandsons when they were only 2 or 3 years old, they recognized Dean's ringtone I had set up on my phone and when they heard it they'd dance around, laugh, and yell out "It's Dean, it's Dean…" We probably averaged talking at least 4 or 5 times a day (weekends included) over the years. Often for hours at a time, too. Dean was always upbeat, optimistic and, lots of fun. We got involved in some crazy projects together, too….enticing and herding 1000's of menopausal women into auditoriums to get pitched on menopause relief…becoming the "Executive Producers" of a country western album of all things…helping teach babies less than 2 years old to read…setting up and managing the entire US operations of a Foreign Exchange Trading Company…and many, many more. Each one a completely new and different challenge that Dean and I relished, attacked, worked very hard at, and conquered together. Whenever we encountered a difficult client (the majority of the time) I'd insist Dean be the "front man" because of his calm, cool, and patient way of managing even the worst of them. He had a knack - that I confess I envied - for getting along with anyone. Dean loved Toni and his family more than anything. Perfect example of a perfect "Family Man." Something else to admire about him. Although his sudden death has left a hole in the hearts of many, many people, me included, I find some consolation in the fact that he left on his terms, in his way, doing exactly what he wanted to be doing at that instant. For that, for his sake, I'm grateful. Dean was creative, determined, tenacious when needed, smart, hardworking, gentle, extremely kind. He was an inspiration and the type of person we all hope to grow up to be like. Dean was a great partner…I can't even imagine anyone who could have been better. And although we seldom saw each other in person, he was also a great friend. I learned so much from Dean on so many levels I can't begin to express my appreciation and gratitude for having had him in my life. I wish he still was. I love him and I'll miss him every day.

You were the Big Brother I never had living the beach lifestyle that I always wanted. When I was a little kid, I always swore I that I was going to buy your Pantera from you. You took me for a ride in it and I was hooked on fast cars from that day on. But then, you painted it UPS BROWN!!! All I could think about was painting it yellow. It was that day that I learned that you were color blind and then I fully understood the UPS BROWN. You inspired UPS to start a NASCAR team with your brown pantera without even knowing it. You were truly an adventure always waiting to happen. Anybody who buys a Pantera for a commuter car in LA traffic definitely has a spirit of adventure. You took Jay and I skiing in Big Bear when I was 7 and he was 5 in your new Thunderbird. That was when my brother Jay got car sick and puked on Toni, just for the record, on the way up the hill. Then you took us to Mammoth in the middle of a blizzard you pushed us off the top of Mountain (the cornice) and said, "If we make it to the bottom we get hot chocolate!" You always knew how to dangle a carrot to "close the deal." I'll never forget finding my first pair of Rossignol skis in your bathtub on a Christmas scavenger hunt at your house. You got them from Hobie when Hobie was just a little store on PCH. Then I grew up and moved to Idaho to attend BSU where you and Toni came to visit. I hadn't seen you probably since the last KWOW Christmas party. Your hair was missing and then I realized, my head is going to look just like yours someday. Follicularly impaired!! You met my son Keegan Wickstrom and always asked how he was doing in his ski racing always crossing your fingers to see him in the Olympics someday. I was so grateful to see you guys and really enjoyed our time together. During the last year and a half, you became to me more than just an Uncle. You became an inspiration. A best friend. A business partner. A marriage counselor. A problem solver. A truckload of ideas. A connection to a business world in which I had no connections. A mover and a shaker. A political teammate. We almost hit a home run together but now, I must get to homeplate without you. HOw I don't know. I'm so grateful that we have had these last couple of years to really get to know each other during this project. I can hear your voice now saying, "Hey Todd, I've got a couple more really, really good ideas. You were always so positive. Whenever I looked down at my cell phone and saw Uncle Dean on the screen, I couldn't swipe the phone fast enough to answer it. Toni, Blakely, Rylen, Simon, Briana, Mom, Dad, Jay, and the rest of the our family, we will miss him dearly but, he is still with us in spirit to guide us through this thing we all call life. I love you Dean and I will see you on the other side. OK, somebody pass the kleenex please.

Dean was an awesome, old time, Hobie Catter!!! I first met him after moving to California in 1974. He and Toni were a major part of our Hobie Cat way of life. Such a great person and an awesome couple! He was always upbeat and very positive, putting a smile on everyones face. I regret that I haven't gotten to get together with Dean and Toni in many years. I hope that when my day comes that I too will go doing something I really enjoy. My thoughts and prays go out to Dean, Toni and their family. RIP Dean. You will be greatly missed by all of us whose life you have touched.

Dean was always "just Dean." You knew what you were getting." To me, he was "Weeny Dickstrom," as I liked to affectionately call him even though he despised it. Oh, how he hated that term! I liked to think that I coined the phrase, but I was told later it was thought up by someone else. Even so, I did it anyway and it made him mad, which was my point, anyway. I always liked to call Dean and Toni the Wickstrom version of the "Bickersons." I began to see a lot of humor when in that situation. It started with being the captain and crew in Hobie Cat competitions during the 70's. Eavesdropping on their banter during those days was impossible not to do, and everyone heard some doozies. Lots of x-rated back and forth while they both tried to exert their control. This continued through life, permeating almost every aspect and subject known to man. It was the nature of their relationship and they both thrived on it. Dean told me many times how much he loved that "spunky" girl, and Toni would tell me secretively how much she admired Dean's creativity, his kindness to others, his spirituality, and the true gift he had of relating to people in many walks of life. They had that special spark that ignited the other to not only be competitive, but to seek the best in each other. Volatile and competitive they may have been, but they were interesting and inspiring and they loved each other deeply. There are way too many stories to tell, and fond memories of the old Hobie Cat days, ski trips, raising our children together, and basically always having fun. Dean was such a wonderful friend. He did a lot of things for people, but for me he was always just my long time friend who was happy to see me and happy to have conversation. So, we will all be telling "Dean" stories from now on, wonderful memories of a very good man. I will miss him terribly - the guy who could always see the best in everyone and uplift their spirits. Here, here, Deano! I know you are smiling down on us.Rest in peace forever. xoxo

I met Dean through his loving wife Toni, one of my dearest friends. My love and prayers go out to the whole family, and especially to Toni. This had to be a shock, but God takes the Good home early. Too early in this case. As all of us know, it is good to go doing something we love, and in Dean's case, that is it. I will pray for Toni, and hope I can give her strength. My sincere love and sympathy to the family.

I had only known Dean for a short while, but Dean's smile and zest for life was infectious. He always saw the possibility in every discussion. So sorry I didn't get the chance to ride with Dean, who shares a great love of cycling and being physically active. Dean left this world doing what he loved, and I only hope that when my day comes to leave this earth, I will be doing what I love as well. May God bless and keep you Toni, his beautiful, thoughtful, and loving wife who gave Dean so many wonderful years up until the Lord called him home.

Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to meet Dean but having recently become friends with Toni through Facebook, I imagine that he must have been a wonderful man. My heartfelt prayers go out to Toni and her family. May God comfort you and give you strength in the days to come.

With love and prayers to the Wickstrom family. May his memory be blessed. Rest in peace, Dean.

Love and prayers go out to you Toni and family from all the Bell Family.....

I'm sorry for your loss. My prayers & thoughts go out tot he family & May God bless you all!