Dennis Noel Dean

Thank you for the friendship I have with your daughter Kate...a true diamond like yourself. Rest in peace and may perpetual light shine upon you.X

Kate, we were very sorry to hear about your father and thank you for sending us the order of service. The service we have both now watched and the Eulogy and photos very touching.
Love to you all
Karen Sharp & Annette Glazebrook

Uncle Den. Only just found out of your passing. Lots of childhood memories of you. The most memorable was your pipe. The smell of pipe tobacco always takes me right back. Rest in perfect Peace xx

Where to start? I first started at Lec as an apprentice toolmaker but when a vacancy opened up in the drawing office as an engineering draughtsman I jumped at it. First impressions when meeting Dennis was what have I done? As already mentioned he was quite strict. He would creep up behind us when we were working on our drawing boards and if we were messing around he would tap loudly on the board and puff his pipe with more vigour. He might have been strict but he was very fair and quite protective of his apprentices. As we grew up and were no longer apprentices he bacame more of a mentor and many of us have so much to thank him for...I certainly do. In latter years as mentioned he mellowed and we actually had fun working under him. He will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by many a draughtsman that passed through the office. RIP mate (if I can now call you that?) Certainly wouldn't have been brave enough to call him that years ago...it was always Mr. Dean while an apprentice and then we were allowed to call hm Dennis and even Den in latter years. God bless you and your family.

Will think of Den whenever we walk the Downs

Stephen crouch; I joined LEC in 1974 I worked under Dennis until he retired in 1993 I then took over his role as chief draughtsman, although I never had his knowledge or talent, Dennis was very strict in the early days but as the years rolled past he became very mellowed. Dennis and is the only person from Lec that I still send a Christmas card to. I hope Peggy is coping ok. I saw the funeral on line very nice service, and a very nice eulogy from Meryl.

Den was a work make and a great mentor from 1968 untill he retired. He helped me a lot.

I only met your dad a few times Kate but I remember he had a wicked sense of humour like yourself! And I always knew if I bought a Lec fridge then all would be okay with it! Beautiful photos and a lovely tribute. Thinking of you and your mum. Love Sara x

I remember him telling us about when he lost the keys to the mini once: Having searched everywhere with no luck, a work colleague helpfully informed him that any of the fridge keys (because for some reason you could lock your fridge in those days..), would open his car! When he recanted this he was chuckling away with the knowledge that for years he'd diligently secured the mini in the car park of the factory manufactoring hundreds of keys to it! Good bloke was Den. Sorry for your loss x

Dad was a life-long Bognorian, passionate rambler of the South Downs, poet, artist, athletics fan, DIY enthusiast, devourer of crime novels and Southampton FC supporter. He spent all his working life at LEC refrigeration in Bognor Regis, and what he didn’t know about fridges wasn’t worth knowing. He loved dark chocolate, a pint of brown & mild, a plate of gammon, chips & peas, a wander round a castle, stately home, museum or church, a view of the Arun Valley in any weather and frogs! He had a dry, quirky sense of humour, a strong sense of what was right, an inquisitive, intelligent mind and a forthright tongue. He leaves a big gap in our lives and our home, and will be forever missed.