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As a teacher.

As a intramurals coach.

As caddy master at the Kenosha Country Club.

As a blood donor.

“My heart is always open for children,” he said in a recent interview from his Kenosha home.

For 34 years he was a teacher at Prairie Lane Elementary School, and for 48 has led intramural sports for the students there.

“I just love playing with kids because I’m a kid at heart,” said the 77-year-old Dean.

For decades, Dean has been an exemplary role model for children, an advocate for veterans and an informed contributor to this newspaper’s letters to the editor.

These factors and others have earned Dean the distinction of being chosen the Kenosha News Person of the Year for 2019.

Dean was selected from more than 30 nominations by a panel of six local judges in December.

Doing what’s best for kids“Milt Dean has been one of the most positive influences in my life,” wrote nominator James Steinhoff, a caddy on Dean’s watch during the 1980s and 1990s.

Some of Dean’s other community accomplishments include raising funds for Special Olympics and promoting Little Leaguers of Kenosha Inc.

“He is known for doing what is best for the kids involved, not just in learning but as a fun experience,” said Dr. James Santarelli, Little League commissioner.

For many years Dean has been a blood donor, through Tremper High School’s blood drive and at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin in Kenosha (now Versiti).

Dean is especially pleased to know that his rare blood type, AB negative, most often goes to children in need. To date, he has donated 120 pints.

“That makes it 15 gallons for children. … For me it’s all about a place in the heart for children,” he said.

Kenosha native

Dean was born in Kenosha in 1942. Through his teen years he worked at a local fruit market and was involved with sports.

After graduating from Bradford High School, Dean worked in construction to pay for college. He recalled helping build the downtown post office addition and cleaning out sewer lines at American Motors.

“My sweat’s literally in Kenosha’s buildings,” he said.

Dean attended the University of Wisconsin-Extension, transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he attained a degree in economics.

He immediately received a draft notice for military duty.

“It was my graduation present,” he quipped.

He served in the Army in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968 where he was assigned to the 93rd Engineers.

“I ended up building rather than destroying,” he said.

In 1971 he married Jackie Szeliga in Kenosha, and they had three children.

Finding his calling

When he returned to work after the Army, Dean tried his hand at business before an aptitude test indicated he was best suited for a career working with children.

He obtained his education certificate from Carthage College, and in 1992 he completed his master’s degree in education from National Lewis University.

Dean began teaching in 1970 at Prairie Lane Elementary School. He taught sixth grade for 28 years and fifth grade for his last six years.

“I loved the classroom,” he said.

Making lasting connections with his students was part of his teaching style, Dean said. At the end of each year, he gave each student a book and a piece of chalk with his or her name on it.

“I told them that the chalk would be their greatest reward, and some have told me they held onto it for years,” he said.

When he retired in 2004, the students of his final class presented him with a quilt of squares representing things he loves, like intramural coaching, math, English and the Cubs.

Dean has been a loyal and avid Cubs fan since 1952, “ever since the fourth grade at McKinley Elementary School,” he said.

Sports for kids

As soon as he started teaching at Prairie Lane, Dean jumped in to lead the school’s intramural sports program.

He stayed with it throughout his tenure, and two years after he retired, he was asked to come back and continue the program.

“In my next life I want to be a gym teacher,” he said.

He is unabashedly proud of his contribution to the school’s after-school sports program. “My intramurals rocked!” he said.

One reason for this, he said, is because he plays alongside the kids.

“I make sure to pass the ball to every child on the team, not just the best players,” he said. “The only rule is that they can’t tackle me!”

He also engages intramural players with caroling at area nursing homes and as bell ringers for the Salvation Army at Christmastime.

Coaching caddies, baseball

In 1971 he joined the Kenosha Country Club and worked as a caddy master even though he doesn’t golf. His intention was to help youth get hired as caddies and promote scholarship programs.

Former caddy James Steinhoff wrote, “I learned the value of hard work, discipline and integrity from Milt.”

Dean has also been a coach for the Kenosha Optimist Little League and is on the Kenosha Little League board of directors.

I feel bad when kids say they don’t want to got out to play sports,” Dean said.

“The first thing about Milt is his enthusiasm,” Santarelli said. “He wants to make sure kids have every opportunity to learn and develop, not just through sports but in life lessons.”

Proud veteran

A proud veteran, Dean is a member of several local veterans organizations, including Navy Club Ship 40.

“I consider myself honorary Navy because I sailed to Vietnam for 21 days, but I don’t really like the water,” he said.

For more than 20 years has organized Veterans Day programs at Prairie Lane.

He has been a regular at the weekly gathering of veterans at the Heroes Cafe at Festival Foods and in 2018 participated in an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

Lively and expressive, Dean is not shy about sharing his views in person or in print media. He is a regular contributor of letters to the editor in support of veterans and youth sports and gives shout-outs to community members he feels are assets to Kenosha.

‘I’m really lucky’

Reviewing the trajectory of his life so far, Dean said he is grateful for having worked as both an educator and caddy mentor.

“I’m really lucky; I got to retire from two jobs I really loved,” he said.

His plan is to keep working and playing with the intramural program for as long as possible.

“I’m going for 50 (years),” he said. As for teaching, Dean said, “I would go back tomorrow.”

For as much as he’s accomplished, Dean said there is still more to do.

“Life’s a tapestry, and my tapestry isn’t done yet,” he said.

He said he plans to continue participating in all of his activities and add a few more.

“I never want to look back,” he said. “I want to keep doing what I’m doing.”