Dean was born in Hibbing, Minnesota in 1929 to Deane and Ahda (Beardsley) Millman and lived his early years on the Mesabi Iron Range. He learned to play hockey on the cold and frozen winter streets and also hunt and fish in the northern woods. Dean would often take a hot lunch into the mines for his father. Dean studied geology and graduated from Carleton College and then went on to earn a graduate degree from the University of Iowa, where he met a "raven-haired beauty" named Betty Mae Ruby. Dean and Betty were married on March 6, 1954 in Iowa City, Iowa. Dean began his long professional career with Marathon Oil Company in Bismark, North Dakota. The U.S. Army had other plans for Dean and called him up to Fort Benning, Georgia where Debra was born. Dean was able to restart his career with Marathon and found himself in Salt Lake City, Utah where Douglas and Karen were born. Dean spent many days out "in the field" studying the impressive rock structures throughout southern Utah. The next hot exploration area was the Denver-Julesburg Basin and the growing family moved to Sidney, Nebraska where Lisa was born. Within a few years the family was back in Salt Lake City where Paul was born. Dean's career also took the family to Denver, Colo.; Casper, Wyo.; Findlay, Ohio; Denver, again and finally to Houston Texas in 1983. Dean retired in 1993 after more than 39 years with Marathon. In November 2016 Dean and Betty moved a final time to The Woodlands.  They had been married 64 years when Betty passed away in 2018. Dean was an enthusiastic and stalwart member of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, everywhere they lived. He served on many of the church councils and he even filled in as a lay minister on occasion. He was a Walther League leader for many years and loved to sing in the choir. Dean and Betty were avid travelers in retirement, visiting Germany, France, Britain, Denmark, Norway, & China and sailing through the Panama Canal. Dean enjoyed reading and he wrote a number of stories about his early life on the iron range which he then submitted to the Nashwauk, Minn. newspaper. He had a tremendous vocabulary and was a stickler for the proper use of the English language. Those who knew Dean will remember him for his love for learning and a life lived in the full conviction of his Christian faith - a man of compassion, intellect, honor, and dignity. Dean is survived by his two daughters, Debra Kistler and Lisa Millman; two sons, Douglas Millman and Paul Millman; two daughters in law, Valerie Millman (Douglas) and Michelle Hovet (Paul); six grandchildren, Jasha Kistler (Melissa), Aaron Kistler, Tigan Hughes (Eric), Ian Harrison (Natalie), Sean Harrison (Hali) and Logan Millman; and also seven great-grandchildren, Brook and Myla Kistler; Jethro, Adelia and Cayleigh Hughes; Coralee and Autumn Harrison; and his sister, Lana Runyan (Dave) and many nieces, nephews and numerous loving friends.