Von Huddleston

Beloved husband, father, and friend, Von Dean Huddleston, passed away peacefully on March 31, 2025. He boldly lived his way for 86 years and was surrounded by family members and friends during the last days of his life.

A Celebration of Life will take place at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at CareTel Inn of St. Joseph, 3905 Lorraine Path, St. Joseph with his granddaughter, the Rev. Jes Kast, officiating. Cremation has taken place by the Michigan Cremation Society.

Dean was born in Sulphur Rock, Arkansas, the second child of Erwin Dean and Lucille "Doris" Huddleston. The family moved to Michigan in the early 1940s when Dean's father began working for Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor. They eventually settled in Hartford, where Dean enjoyed small-town life, which included 4-H, church, and helping his family.

In high school, Dean lettered in football and was known as "Moose" and "Big Dean" to his teammates and the community that cheered for the team. #24 played a variety of offensive and defensive positions, including tackle, fullback, and halfback. He was an integral part of the team's success, helping to propel them to victory in many close games by making key tackles and scoring touchdowns and extra points.

Shortly after graduating from Hartford High School in 1957, he married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth "Betti" Miller and they started building their family and lives together in Hartford. They had four children, Stephen Dean, Michael John, Barbara Jean, and Phillip William.

Dean worked for Harding's Market for most of his life, starting in high school and retiring in 1991. In 1975 he took a break from working for Harding's to open his own grocery store with Ed Riest. Ed and Dean's Friendly Viking Store in downtown Dowagiac was a family affair, with their wives and children working various jobs. They were known as a "family store for friendly service."

Dean was also very involved in the community, serving on the Hartford City Council from 1973-75, and on the Hartford Volunteer Fire Department for many years.

He became a member of the fire department in 1967 and helped fight many fires in the area, namely two large fires in downtown Hartford - one in 1968 when six buildings were destroyed, and another in 1972 when the city hall and fire department buildings were damaged by fire. Dean was also recognized with other members and officers of the Fire Department in May of 1974 for helping to get a new Hartford's fire station built and to establish emergency ambulance services. And in 1975, he made headlines in the local paper for performing CPR on a woman who had collapsed from a heart attack in the Harding's store.

Dean actually started saving lives when he was in high school. A local newspaper account credited Dean for "rousting up a woman and 8 children in a nearby home" when a fire broke out in their apartment in a house near his parent's home in 1955.

Dean also made his mark on the community in other ways. In 1968 Dean won third place and $100 in a Chicago Essay contest. The essay was titled: "Why Getting Along with People is Important to Me." In 1972, he created a garden in a "silent protest against inflation." Dean turned the tree lawn in front of their house on Center Street into a potato patch. That started a tradition, and every year afterwards, he planted flowers or vegetables in the area.

After their oldest son Stephen died in 1985, Dean and Betti found a place on Lake Michigan to heal. They restored their home on Lions Park Drive, which eventually was painted pink and green and became an iconic landmark that was enjoyed by family, friends, and people going down to the beach from the 2nd Street beach access. They lived there for 30 years, enjoying many bike rides throughout St. Joe, sunsets from the front porch, making friends at the beach and along Lions Park Drive, and enjoying the hustle and bustle of lake life. They moved from the pink and green house to assisted living at CareTel Inns of St. Joseph in the summer of 2023.

Dean and Betti loved to travel, and they not only saw all 50 states, they also saw a great deal of the world. One summer, Dean undertook a solo trip to Alaska, driving his K-car on the Alaskan highway and camping along the way. The next summer, he repeated the trip with Betti; however, they stayed in a few hotels in between campsite stops. In the winter months, they enjoyed time in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for many years - first for short periods of time while they were still working, and then for several months after they retired.

Dean will be dearly missed by his soulmate of 67 years, Betti. He is also survived by his son, Michael (Nancy), daughter, Barbara, and son Phillip; 8 grandchildren, Michael Jr. (Samantha), Andrew (Stephanie), Tommy, Allen, Christopher (Katie) Jenkins, and Stacia (Tyler) Davidson, Jessica Kast (Jessy Defenderfer), and Grant Huddleston; plus 6 great-grandchildren, Dean, Lenore, Bennett, and Cecelia Huddleston and Noelle and Heath Huddleston. Others survivors include: sister, Maxine (Eugene) Gatchell and brother Gary (Sandy) Huddleston; sister-in-laws Carole Mayer and Joyce Empson and brother-in-law Hershel (Betty) Miller; special friends Ed and KeVen Riley, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Erwin and Doris Huddleston, son Stephen Dean, and sisters Joann Kriner and Eleanor Rupert.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial donations can be made in Dean's name to your local food shelf.

While at www.amsfuneralhomes.com please take time to sign Von's guestbook and/or share a memory with his family.

The Huddleston family is being cared for by the Avink, McCowen & Secord Funeral Homes and Cremation Society, 129 South Grand Street, Schoolcraft, MI 49087. 269-679-5622.