Dean S Dutton, of Branson, Missouri, peacefully passed from this life on April 3, 2026, surrounded by loved ones.
Dean was born to Cecil and Delma Sanders Dutton on June 23, 1938, in LaVerkin, Utah. He was the oldest of 3 siblings and is survived by his sister, Terrie Dutton Woodis. Growing up, he recounted stories of sleeping with his brother Kelly in a repurposed chicken coop and of the great luxury he experienced at age 15 when they moved from their trailer into a 4-room house with a pipe to provide running water and electric lights that turned on by pulling a chain. Dean was adored by his baby sister, Terrie who greatly admired her older brother as a mentor and who often sought counsel from him.
In ninth grade, one of his beloved school teachers, Mr. Hinton, suggested that Dean consider getting a PhD. From that time on, Dean worked to fulfill the dream that Mr. Hinton had helped create in him. Dean was the first person in his family to graduate from high school, the first to serve in the military, the first to serve a church mission (Germany), the first to graduate from college (University of Utah - Mathematics), and the first to get a PhD. He graduated as an economist from Michigan State University in 1967 and began teaching at the University of Iowa that same year and then Brigham Young University the year after.
Dean worked during high school in construction, he was the senior class president, and he studied hard, resulting in him being chosen to be valedictorian of his graduating class. Despite all he achieved, Dean never lost his humility. He never thought of himself as anything great and he would even downplay his professor title of "Dr. Dutton," but he knew that he could do hard things and succeed if he applied himself and he passed that valuable life principle onto his descendants.
Dean married his sweetheart, Sheila Porter Dutton, on June 6, 1969, in the St. George, Utah Temple. They were a perfect match and after 57 years together they were still happily in love with each other and greatly enjoyed spending as much time as possible together with their children and grandchildren.
After 25 years of teaching, Dean retired from BYU in 1993 and began his second career as a professional musician and CFO for The Duttons. He dedicated much of his "spare time" during his professional life at BYU to teaching his children the value of hard work and discipline by supporting their daily music practice, and he was thrilled when he could combine his profession with what had become his family's musical vocation. He was never happier than when he was working together with his family, except for perhaps the times when he was relaxing together with his family over a delicious meal.
Dean loved his Savior Jesus Christ, was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he served in a number of callings that were all meaningful to him. He loved the gospel and was a lifelong student of the scriptures, often sharing specific examples and verses to relate experiences from daily life to gospel principles. His life is a reflection of his testimony with many quiet humble moments of loving service to others.
Dean's legacy includes his 14 children — Jennifer, Timothy, Amy, Jonathan, Benjamin, Abigail, Joshua, Granger, Michael, Alex, Anastasia, Natasha, Nick, and Sam; his children who joined our family through marriage — Judith, Rudy, Bella, Brande, Adam, Evette, Juan, and Rebecca; his 32 grandchildren; and his first great-grandchild who was born this January.
There will be two memorial services for Dean — the first in Branson, MO at the chapel where he served as Bishop, and the second at the chapel where both Dean and Sheila's families attended church growing up and where he will be buried at his ancestral home of Hurricane, UT.
