Omer Dean Hearn, 90, of Huntsville, AL, entered into God’s kingdom on March 13th, 2023. He was born April 4, 1932, to Vestie and Henry Hearn.
Dean was preceded in death by his father, mother, brother Charles Hearn, and sisters Martha Helen Yarbrough and Mildred Spencer and his lifelong best friend and cousin, Kenneth Hearn.
Dean, a most loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather is survived by his wife of 70 years, Catherine; Daughters, Teresa (and her husband Dean), Kay (and her husband Rick), Rhonda (and her husband Charlie), Janice (and her husband Brad) and his son Michael. Dean was also survived by 16 Grandchildren, 20 Great Grandchildren and a Great-Great Grandson and granddaughter. Dean was also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Upon finishing Coffee High School in Florence Alabama, Dean volunteered to join the Navy during the Korean War on January 10, 1951 to serve his country, which took Dean out of the rural south for the first time in his life and allowed him to experience a world he never knew.
A few years into his Navy service he met the love of his life, the woman who would stand by his side through thick and thin, Catherine Chandler of Florence Alabama. Dean and Catherine married on April 2, 1953 and began building a life together that lasted 70 years! Dean was honorably discharged from the Navy on November 3, 1954, and Dean began to pursue a career as an Aerospace Engineer with Brown Engineering. Over the course of his career he worked for several DoD and NASA contractors on the Redstone Rocket, the Mercury Rocket, the Gemini Rocket, the Apollo Rocket and the Space Shuttle Program.
Dean had the personality and natural charisma to make friends easily, and his laugh and sense of humor brought joy to those around him. A man of many stories, some factual and others not so factual, but they all would draw out inspiring conclusions.
Growing up in rural Alabama, Dean lived a hard life during the depression. This drove him to provide his children with the best life possible without worrying about himself.
Dean was a truly good man whose impact will be forever felt by his family, that loves him dearly. He was a selfless man whose passing left an unfillable gap in the hearts of his loved ones. His ability to sacrifice, provide, support, forgive, and love will be forever engrained in all he knew.
There will be a visitation at 1PM on March 20, 2023 at Berryhill Funeral Home followed by a memorial service in the chapel at 2PM. Military Honors will be at the graveside at Maple Hill Cemetery following the service. The pallbearers for Dean will be four grandsons and two great grandsons; Michael Hearn Jr., Timothy Hearn, Joshua Hearn, John Maddaloni, Caden Hearn and Cameron Hearn.
