Preston Dean

K. Preston Dean, II, 64, of Kansas City, MO, former Jackson County Circuit Judge, died Saturday, August 27, 2011. Preston was born in Mexico, MO and graduated from Mexico Senior High School. Following high school, he attended the University of Missouri receiving his Bachelor degree in 1968 and his Law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1971. After graduating from law school, Preston joined the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, serving under Attorneys General John Danforth and John Ashcroft. He headed the Criminal Division under Attorney General Danforth and was the First Assistant under Attorney General Ashcroft. In 1982 he became General Counsel for the Missouri Public Service Company. After a brief period in private practice he joined the United States Attorney’s Office in Kansas City in 1987. In September, 1989, he was appointed a Judge to the Circuit Court of Jackson County Missouri, where he served until his retirement in 2006. Friends and colleagues will remember Preston for his constant sense of humor, his self-effacing modesty, his honesty and integrity, and, most of all, his devotion to his wife, Cathy. He loved trips to Estes Park, Colorado and hiking in the mountains. He always had something interesting to say about a wide range of topics, such as home improvement projects, cars, railroads, history, nature, and current events. A conversation with Preston never ended without a smile or witty remark. Preston’s sense of impartiality and fairness guided his work as a judge. He analyzed legal and factual issues in cases without biases or preconceived notions of what the results should be. He understood the impact of decisions on parties appearing before him. Preston is survived by his wife of 41 years, Cathy (Pitman) Dean and his sister Jayne Dean of Kansas City. He is also survived by an Aunt, Dorothy Wheeler of Mexico, MO, and two cousins, Sandra Allen of Mattawan, Michigan and Stephen Wheeler of St. Louis, Missouri. He was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth Preston Dean and Mildred Catherine (Johnson) Dean. A memorial service will be held at the Country Club Christian Church, 6101 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 31, 2011. His family will receive friends at the church both before the service beginning at 10:00 am and immediately after. Throughout his life, Preston was loyal to and supported the University of Missouri and its School of Law. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Preston Dean Scholarship Fund, University of Missouri School of Law, Hulston Hall, Columbia, MO. 65211-4300.