Mildred Dean
Tribute
Mom was the epitome of everything God intended a mother to be. She was so devoted to her 3 girls and her life revolved around caring for, supporting, encouraging, teaching us right from wrong, and doing everything she could to let us experience things and giving us every opportunity to learn, be successful, and be happy. She loved deeply and unconditionally and was the sweetest, most compassionate, and mosmothoughtful person I have ever known. She instilled in us the importance of family and taking care of and looking out for each other and always do our very best. Mom overcame many obstacles and hard times. She was a single Mom and raised us for the most part alone and without any assistance or financial help. We were very poor, but none of us girls ever even realized it. We were so well cared for and she was always there. She had 3 sisters and 2 brothers. My grandmother and all of my Aunts and Uncles remained in Kentucky. Even though she moved to Florida in 1958 and lived here until she passed away in January of 2023 less than 2 months before her 95th birthday. She remained close and saw that we girls stay connected through visits, writing letters, phone calls and telling us stories. She sent birthday cards to every single family member including her nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews without fail. To know her was to love her. She did everything with a smile, loved and talked to everyone, loved going to church and loved to laugh and have fun. She was charmingly innocent and had a way about her that made everyone she encountered feel welcome and that she was interested in what they had to say. She was eager to learn. She even went to college on a work-study program and got her AA Degree at age 54. She was a wonderful homemaker, talented seamstress and made all of our clothing and did so for relatives as well. She never complained and tried many jobs to make ends meet since she had only been a homemaker up until 1974 when she was deserted and forced to face raising and providing for me and my younger sister age 7 and 9. She received her cosmetology license as part of a work program as well. I don't know how she had the strength and intestinal fortitude to accomplish what she did, but she did so with flying colors. All 3 of us girls never went without and were showered with a love so special until she took her last breath. Looking back, we were rich in the things that mattered most and all 3 of us were taught by her and learned by listening to her words and watching how she lived her life. She never asked for or wanted anything but for us to be happy and to be together...and to laugh. She lives on through us and in our hearts, as well as everyone's heart that had the pleasure of knowing her and touched by her unique, endearing, tender beautiful heart and soul. She was more than my Mom. She was my best friend and my Hero. She always said being a Mother was her greatest blessing and my sisters and I feel having her as a Mom was ours.
Friends & Family
Rayna Moore (Ross); Kim Dean (Leslie); Marvene Johnson (Doug); Kellie Singer (Troy); Kyle Moore (Krisie); Brittany Rooney (James); Cayden Johnson; Colby Johnson; Don Johnson; Jon Johnson; Cole Singer; Brylee Moore; Logan Moore; Zoe Johnson