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Obituary for DEAN SHUPE
Dean Stanley Shupe – admired teacher and beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend – passed to spirit on May 21, 2019, surrounded by loving family members at his home in Florence, Kentucky. Dean was born on July 7, 1937, in Clarion Iowa, to Zella and Eldred Shupe. He was an active, smart, and curious kid who liked nothing more than to explore, learn, and figure out how things worked. He spent much of his childhood outdoors, fishing, biking, building, or skating on the lake with his friends. He was active in the church and in Boy Scouts and, like his father and his brother Larry, became an Eagle Scout as a teenager. He graduated at the top of his class from Clarion High School, and went on to study engineering at Iowa State College. He earned graduate degrees in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and M.I.T., and he spent most of his career as a professor at the University of Cincinnati. While at U.C. he worked in engineering economy and heat transfer, served as a consultant on numerous projects in the public sector, and taught hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students. He was a dedicated teacher and mentor whose ability to explain difficult concepts and genuine desire to help students learn made him a favorite among students, and earned him many departmental and university teaching awards. He was also an avid reader and lay theologian, who never stopped asking hard questions and seeking answers to those questions. He believed in the power of love, and in showing love in everyday practices – by reading to grandchildren, selling fair trade coffee, helping kids build birdhouses, and working on projects for his church and many, many other organizations and individuals. He was a tireless advocate for environmental and social justice, who worked on behalf of those who were most vulnerable. He had a special place in his heart for children and said the world would be a better place if every child had access to a bowl of oatmeal each day. He will be remembered for his sense of adventure and love of travel, his clever pranks, his stockpile of good books and coffee, his wonderful hugs, and for his devotion to family. His life will be celebrated by his wife Donna; his daughters Nancy Shupe Mathew and Ellen Shupe (Francisco Calderon); his step-daughters Amy Ford Scott (Kelli Osborn), Tracy (Mike) Mann, and Holly (Ryan) King; his grandchildren Julia, Sara, David, Lucas, Evan, Monica, Sarah Grace, Huston, Emma and Roland; and numerous nephews, nieces, and other family members and friends. He is preceded to spirit by wife Alma, parents Zella and Eldred, brother Larry, and step-mother Jessie. A service celebrating his life will be held at Union Presbyterian Church (10259 US Hwy 42, Union, KY 41091) on Sunday, June 30, 2019 at 3:00 p.m., followed by a reception at the church. Please join us to remember this man of compassion and integrity – a life well lived and loved.
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