William A. "Bill" Dean, Sr. (90) of Effingham

William A. “Bill” Dean Sr. of Effingham, IL, died on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at Evergreen Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Effingham at the age of 90.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 29, 2020 at Johnson Funeral Home in Effingham. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Monday prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Effingham with military rites. Online condolences may be shared by clicking here. 

Bill was born on August 20, 1929 in Sunflower County, MS, to Emmet and Evie (Martin) Dean, who had a large family of 13 children. Bill served in the Unites States Navy on board the USS Brinkley Bass from 1947-1951. He married Beulah Peek in 1954 and they had three children, Donna, Diana, and William. Bill graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas in 1967. Following his ordination, Bill began his ministry to a number of churches and organizations. One of the highlights of his career was a mission trip to Korea in 1983. He was active and dedicated to the service of others during his career and after his official retirement from the ministry in 1998. After moving to Effingham and joining the First Baptist Church, Bill began ministering to senior members of the church, a position he held from 2004-2011. He loved traveling with his wife, fishing, reading, and watching westerns and western books.

Bill is survived by his children, Donna Jones of Effingham, Diana Hollingsworth (Paul) of Joliet, and William Dean Jr. (Lisa) of Chillicothe; grandchildren, Ashli Jones Gher, Amanda Hollingsworth, William Dean III, and James Dean; great-grandchildren; Owen Joe, Wyatt, Chase, and Jax Gher; sister, Charlene Perry; brothers-in-law, Max (Carol) Samples and Dave (Ada) Peek; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife of 62 years, Beulah Lee Dean; 7 brothers; and 4 sisters.