St. Augustine, Florida - David M. Dean, age 84, died June 14, 2026, near his home in St. Augustine, Fla. Born May 3, 1942, in Anderson, Ind., he was the son of Donald and Geraldine Dean.

After graduating from Wabash College and enduring a three-year stint in sales, he attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a Ph.D. in United States history in 1972. Between 1972 and 2013 David's academic career centered on Frostburg State University, with the exception of seven years teaching at five universities in South Africa, Lesotho and Ireland. The author of two peer-reviewed books and co-author of "Allegany County: A History," he was awarded four U.S. Fulbright Fellowships for teaching overseas. This remains the greatest number of such awards ever granted to an FSU faculty member.

David chaired the History Department for seven years and was the initial recipient of the Faculty Development Award for Excellence in Teaching. Additionally, he was twice honored with the Faculty Development Award for Scholarship, and he retired feeling like he'd absolutely chosen the right career.

David was an avid runner, logging 70,000 miles (including 50 marathons, 20 ultramarathons and countless half-marathons), and cyclist, who biked across America four times. He also loved reading, learning, basketball, traveling, good food and beer, and modeled for his children what an ideal parent should be: loving, kind, honest, generous, adventurous, hard-working and open to new ideas.

David is survived by his wife, Polly Nowell Dean; children, Jennifer, Eric and Joshua; grandchildren, Eric, Emma, Patrick, Andrew, Charles and Nicolas; and siblings, Nancy, Peter and Sarah.