Jeanette Dean

Thursday, April 15, 1937 - Thursday, October 24, 2024

Jeanette Smith Dean passed away on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at Westside Terrace in Dothan, Alabama after a long illness.  

Mrs. Dean was born in Wicksburg, Alabama on April 15, 1937. She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, James R. Dean; parents, Johnie E. and Johnnie Williams Smith; brother, Jerry E. Smith; brothers-in-law, Clyde Dean, Jack Dean, Rex Dean, and Byron Justice; sister-in-law, Carolyn Justice; nephew, Jerry Alan Dean, and niece, Sherry Dean.  

She is survived by her daughter, Rita Dean; sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Smith, Rejina Dean, Jean Tice, and Fay Smith; nephews David Smith, Greg Dean, Roger Dean, Mickey Justice, and Jim Helms; nieces, Melinda Smith Yu (Chang), Margaret Justice Taylor, Mary Justice Lane, Maria Justice Coté (Craig), and several great and great great nieces and nephews.  

She loved school and attended both Wicksburg and Hartford schools. She later pursued her dream of becoming an elementary teacher, earning both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Troy University. She was a beloved teacher who taught second and third grades at Webb School for 28 years. She spoke of her students often and was very proud of their accomplishments. She always encouraged them to do their best and was glad to run into them in later years and hear about their lives. Mrs. Dean loved music and played piano and sang with her husband all of their married life. They sang at numerous churches and other functions over the years and volunteered at local nursing homes and senior centers after they retired. She was a member of Winslette Chapel United Methodist Church where she served as the pianist for 15 years. She also served as the pianist at Mt. Hebron United Methodist Church for the past several years. Her strong faith in God was most important to her; she loved serving her churches and cherished her many friends there. Mrs. Dean also enjoyed traveling with her husband. Throughout their marriage, they visited all 48 mainland states as well as Canada and Mexico. Two of her favorite places to travel were the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Back at home, she was an incredible wife, mother, aunt, daughter, sister and friend!  

Her family would like to thank the staff of Westside Terrace, Amedisys Home Health, Gentiva Hospice, and Wiregrass Homecare for their extraordinary care during her illness. We would like to especially thank her special caregivers: Victoria Coté, Becky Gibson, and Theresa Blinn who provided invaluable service. 

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, in the Sorrells Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Paul Edenfield and Archie Howell presiding. Interment will follow in the Slocomb City cemetery with Sorrells Funeral Home of Slocomb directing. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday, October 28, 2024, from 5 P.M -7 P.M.   

Serving as pallbearers will be David Smith, Greg Dean, Roger Dean, Mickey Justice, Jim Helms, Craig Coté, Byron Coté, and Chang Yu. Music will be provided by special friends Shelia Fuller, Wendy Brown, and Ruby Beasley.  

In lieu of flowers, please contribute to Samaritan’s Purse/Hurricane Helene relief for North Carolina (samaritanspurse.org) in honor of Mrs. Dean’s love for the North Carolina mountains. Thank you for your support.