Hal “Rocky” Stone Dean Jr.

Hal “Rocky” Stone Dean, Jr. passed away on July 14, 2022.  He was born overlooking the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas on January 12, 1951 to Hal and Stella Dean. When he was 9 years old the family moved to Midland, Texas.

Rocky was captain of the Midland High School football team where he made many lifelong friends. He was proud of the fact that he went with his father to the first NFL Super Bowl in 1967. He continued his football dreams at Oklahoma State University proudly wearing his OSU baseball cap around town.

In 1971 he married Evelyn Glaspie and they moved to Lubbock where he continued his education at Texas Tech University.  After graduating from Texas Tech, he and his wife moved to Terrell County to ranch, in 1976.   Later that year, their daughter Caroline was born.

Dean Ranch Company first raised Angora goats for mohair, eventually raising beef cattle, and then on to Corriente cattle for roping, receiving numerous awards for conservation efforts reflecting a love for the land and nature.  Dean Ranch Company further ran a successful hunting camp operation and joined with the University of Texas at Austin in the identification and research of native peoples who had lived and flourished on the land, resulting in the ranch being designated as a historical archeological site.   In his spare time Rocky volunteered with his daughter’s softball teams throughout her middle and high school years and participated with Midland Ranch Rodeo.

After divorce, Rocky sold Dean Ranch Company and moved to Midland.  He enjoyed volunteering with Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Special Olympics, working for Meals-on-Wheels, and looked forward to his yearly fantasy baseball team.

Rocky was an avid traveler, roper, golfer, and fisherman.  He was an excellent cook, always searching for the perfect masa recipe for tamales.  Rocky was funny, kind, and considerate but was never shy about expressing his opinion on anything and everything.  Rocky loved his family and friends and will be greatly missed.  Details on a celebration of life party will be forthcoming.

He was preceded in death by his parents.  He is survived by his daughter Caroline Crawley;  three sisters, Ann Creamer (Don),  Amy Robnett (Steve), and Nancy Dean; nieces Alyson McLane (Matt), Shannon Campbell (Tim), Courtney Goodwin (John), Claire Robnett; and a nephew Spencer Robnett (Brooke) ; great nieces and nephews Thomas and Annabelle Campbell, Sloan and Connor Goodwin, Webb, Camille, and Winston Robnett.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences can be made at www.npwelch.com.

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