Remembering Dean H. Boender, 1939-2024

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

Family and friends are remembering Dean Boender and sharing this remembrance with his community:

Dean H. Boender
April 12, 1939 – December 14, 2024

Dean was born in Wenatchee, WA, to Dorotha Francis Compton and Jacob Dickson Boender. His family moved to West Seattle when he was in elementary school. Dean went on to graduate from West Seattle High School, where he met many lifelong friends. After that, he attended the University of Washington, where he proudly rowed Crew. Dean left the UW short of graduating to go to work for his good friend Jim Sweeney at Alki Lumber, a job he proudly held for 60 years.

Dean’s favorite places to visit were the Big Island of Hawaii, Sun Valley, Idaho, and Lake Chelan. He loved all things Washington Huskies, especially attending football games, both home and away.

Dean is survived by his 2 daughters, Melissa and Stephanie Boender.

A “celebration of life” will be planned at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to “The Mount” (Providence Mount St. Vincent) or Providence Hospice. providence.org We are very grateful for the thoughtful care that they gave our Dad.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)

Vlad December 17, 2024 (2:00 pm)

RIP Uncle Dean.

Jeff Holmes December 17, 2024 (2:09 pm)

So very sorry to hear this news.
I had the pleasure of working with Dean at the lumber yard during my
high school and college years in the eighties and early nineties.

A great story teller with a phenomenal sense of humor and absolutely
zero tolerance for stupidity, Dean served as a mentor to myself and a cohort
of other guys my age who worked at Alki Lumber.
Dean was the kind of guy who could be standing there chewing you out
and if you said: “Dean, I don’t have a warm coat” he’d be taking off his
coat to give it to you.

There are many times that I look back at decisions I’ve made or
successes that I’ve had and I’ve realized that it was a culmination of
insights and lessons from Dean and Jim Sweeney that led me to those
successes. Dean, Jim and the rest of the crew were an exceptional group
of guys to work with and learn from.

Ah, the antics that went on bring a smile to my face even in light of this news…
To the Boender family; Thank you for sharing Dean with the rest of us.
What a character.

-Sonny

Karl December 17, 2024 (6:22 pm)

Ditto what Sonny said. I am sorry to hear of Dean’s passing. Dean was certain a no BS guy. He played along when we sent a newbie to Alki Lumber to get a keg of toe nails, or a board stretcher My wife and I were dining at Jak’s one summer evening a while back and Dean was also there. Upon finishing dinner and desert the wait staff informed us that the full cost of our dinner was covered by the gentleman who we conversed with. That was Dean. Rest in Peace my friend. I will never forget that kind gesture Karl

James Hunt December 18, 2024 (9:03 am)

I worked will Dean @ Alki Lumber for 26 years. When I first came on board in 1997, Dean gave my wife and I two tickets to UW football game (actually two times) . We so enjoyed that and became Husky fans for sure. Dean was John Wayne tough, but he was mostly fair and left you alone if you were a hard honest worker. He and Jim Sweeney were the best of friends. He delighted to tell the stories of him and ” Mister Sweeney” when they went to the Army basic training together. Jim ( Mr Sweeney to us) was always late and messing up. The drill Sargent called him “Sweet knees Sweeney.” Dean was a strong man,and it was hard for us to observe his later years with less than optimal health. There are many stories I could tell, but not appropriate here.

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