Dean Edward Wheelock, 82, of Silver Cliff, Wisconsin, passed away at home in his sleep on Wednesday morning, January 26, 2022, surrounded by family and friends. He died from failing health after a bout of bilateral pneumonia suffered in December of 2021. Dean lived a full life as a band leader, musician, composer, teacher, data processing executive, theologian, author, and publisher. To his family he was a beloved husband, father and grandfather.

Born and raised in Wausaukee, Wisconsin, Dean was president and valedictorian of his class at Wausaukee High School. He received his BA in music from the Conservatory at Lawrence College in Appleton, and his MA in music from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He taught music at several high schools in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, including at his alma mater Wausaukee High School.
In the fall of 1969, Dean moved to Pasadena, California, with his first wife, Kathleen, and their three children. During the next several years he was a band leader at Ambassador College and the band director at Imperial Schools. Beginning in 1974, he retrained for his second career and became a data processing executive in Pasadena and later in Santa Barbara, California, where he and Kathleen lived until her passing in 1987.
In 1988, Dean married Susan (Wood) Stegner. Dean took an early retirement in 1992 and returned to Northeastern Wisconsin with Susan in 1994, where they remodeled and lived in the family cabin he helped to build in the 1960s—lovingly referred to as “Beit Shalom” where he drew his last breath—located on the banks of the Peshtigo River in Silver Cliff on land that Dean’s father purchased in 1937.
In 1996, Dean and Susan founded the Hebrew Roots® ministry, which explores the historic and religious aspects of the Christian Messianic movement. This was his passion phase of his life, and he studied, spoke, wrote, and published the Hebrew Roots® newsletter until his failing health made further work impossible.
Dean is survived by Susan, his wife of 33 years. Susan has two adult children, David Stegner (Brenda) and Jamey Stegner (Jacki), 7 adult grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren, all of whom thought of Dean as a patriarchal figure in their family.

Dean is also survived by his three adult children: Perry Wheelock, Elizabeth (Wheelock) Bunting, and William Wheelock; and his six adult grandchildren: Taylor Rose (Wheelock) Mirshahi, Willow Wheelock, Alexander Campbell, Melinda Wheelock, Alyssa (Wheelock) Warren, and Daniella Wheelock. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emory and Edna (Fisher) Wheelock; his brother, Emory John Wheelock; and his first wife, Kathleen (Barron) Wheelock.

Private family graveside services were held. Celebration of life will be held at a later date. Weber-Hill Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences can be made a www.weberhillfuneralhome.com.