Dean Dudley Dow

Dean Dudley Dow was born in Valentine, Nebraska on May 2, 1933, to Mary Alice Dow and Dudley Ulyssus Dow. He had 2 brothers Leon & Merle who preceded him in death.  He also had two sisters who died in childhood.  The family moved to Oregon in 1938.  He was raised in Clackamas and attended Clackamas Grade School and graduated from Milwaukie High School in 1951.  He also attended the First Congregational Church.

In August of 1951 he joined the United States Air Force and spent four years.  He was stationed in Korea for one year, but he was not near the fighting.  His MOS was in special weapons.  His job was to keep the guns and munitions in tip top shape for those on the front.  The rest of his military service was spent stateside.  He served on bases in Texas and Colorado.  In September 1955 he was honorably discharged in Salina, Kansas.

In 1960 Dean married LaCinda Cater Ward.  She had 2 children from a previous marriage.  They had a son, Rodger from that union.  In 1971, Dean and LaCinda divorced.  On July 14, 1972, Dean married Donna Chilson.  She had 5 children, so it became one blended, large family.  Dean and Donna moved a number of times after retirement, spending time at the Oregon coast, central Oregon and Idaho.  As Donna’s health was failing, they moved back to the metropolitan area.  Donna passed away in March of 2015.

Dean met Kay Mordock at the Milwaukie Elks lodge.  They married September 2, 2015.  Dean and Kay enjoyed spending time at the beach and traveling to Mazatlan, Mexico.  They enjoyed working in the yard and he usually had a garden.

On July 1, 1961, Dean was hired by Rural Fire Protection District #56.  He worked his way up from firefighter to captain and then transferred to the Fire Marshalls office.  He progressed from Inspector to Senior Inspector.  He worked for that fire department for 25 years.  The City of Portland Fire Bureau transferred him to doing Fire and Life Safety Plans review with the Bureau of Buildings for the last four years.  Dean retired from the Portland Fire Bureau December 1, 1990.

Dean joined the Milwaukie Elks Lodg in 1970.  He began his officer journey in 1984 and progressed each year as an officer until becoming Exalted Ruler in 1991-92.  When he returned to Milwaukie, he became active again and served as chaplain at least twice.  Dean was very generous with organizations he felt were important.  In fact, he used to furnish the Milwaukie Portland Elks lodge with new flags to fly when the others became worn.  Dean was a member of the American Legion, the Elks and the Retired Firefighters Association.

In September 2023 Dean was able to go on the Honor Flight to Washington DC with other veterans.  The trip was very special to him, and he was honored to be given a flag while at the Korean War Memorial.

Dean passed away at home August 6, 2026.  He will be interred September 4, 2026 at Willamette National Cemetery.  He is survived by his wife Kay, his son Rodger and extensive family and friends.  The Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, September 13, 2026 at the Milwaukie Elks Lodge at 2:00. 13121 SE McLoughlin Blvd.

In lieu of flowers please make any donations to the Honor Flight of Oregon.