Peter David Victor Dean

To the best uncle ever!
I remember when I was a little girl and we visited you in NYC when you first moved there. I don’t remember much of what we did, but I do remember the very first morning we were there. Jane and I were so excited to see you that we ran inside your bedroom, giggling, and jumped on the bed to wake you and Alexina up. I don’t know what you thought of that not yet having kids of your own, but you and Alexina went along with it and we all had so much fun. So much fun we did it every morning! And that was Uncle David, always so kind and welcoming. Always so much fun. Thank you both for all of the summers I spent with you, I looked forward to them every year! And the biggest thank you goes to the time you took me when I was pregnant with Amanda. I will never be able to express the gratitude I felt and feel to this day for what both of you did for us. Thank you to you and Alexina from the bottom of my heart!! I will truly miss you Uncle David!

When we think of David, the first thing that comes to mind is his wonderful laugh. It came from deep within him, resonating through the air and reaching us even a quarter of a mile away as we sat on our deck. He loved hosting gatherings and graciously included us on many occasions. Even when we weren't physically with David and Alexina, we could still share in his joy for life and laughter from our deck.

As the "Mayor" of China Court, he committed himself to keeping our roads free of potholes, snow, and ice. Naming China Road the David Dean highway was a well-deserved honor for all his efforts.

We will miss David in so many ways.

We will miss David greatly. His bright smile, his booming laugh, and the unmistakable click-clack of his ski poles marching up the road were the unofficial soundtrack of our summers. Our daughter, Siona, would drop everything to sprint outside and greet him and Jackie the moment she heard those poles hit the driveway.

She announced more than once that David was her favorite “old man” (with apologies to her grandfather).

To her, David embodied everything magical about the people in Sedgewood: kindness, curiosity, a twinkle of mischief in the best possible way, and that neighborly charm from an era when people still stopped to chat instead of nodding to each other behind sunglasses. We’re grateful she got to know him, and extra grateful we got so many years of his stories, jokes, and world-class smile. He made China Ct. Road a happier, funnier place to live.

We will miss the sound of his steps, the warmth of his hello, and the joy he carried with him.

With love,
The Cowherds

Didier, your grandfather was such a funny interesting man

great style

big heart

love to Alexina and the family

Didier,

Your grandfather assumed you were named after Didier Drogba or Didier Deschamps (the soccer legends). He told everyone without ever being told that! But your name wasn’t inspired by World Cup wins, Pup just slotted that in. It's inspired by Derrida, a philosopher, and his concept of différance

'Didier' is a phonetic echo of 'Derrida" (dee-DYEH vs deh-ree-DAH). It mirrors Derrida’s concept of différance: the idea that meaning is always deferred—forever desired, but never fully arrived or... forever changing. That's you. Evolving and growing, ideally, in harmony.

No one knows this until right now.

Your mother, Thema Jamilah Hepburn, and I decided to go old French over the old English Jamaican tradition. In that telling your name means "The Desired One" or "Longing." This is also you.

Both of these meanings are David aka Pup aka Deano in full.

I first met David and you when David was working with Dad for GKN in London, probably over 30 years ago. I know Dad and David had a great working relationship and a close friendship.
When I visited you and David, David would always share stories of my dad , probably fueled with the Pink gins they would share in the office, and he would get quite emotional about how much my Dad meant to him, it meant a lot to me.

I was lucky enough to live with your family for a year, David was one of a kind! from, after picking me up from JFK, asking me to drive a car to follow him to a rental car center, although I had just passed my test in the UK and never driven on a freeway! I have never been so scared and certainly needed a G and T after that.
He loved a bargain, I remember he was very excited on a Saturday when the Penny Saver came and the flier for sales at the local grocery store, coupons were clipped and sometimes we would end up with 20 cans of cream of mushroom soup as they were on sale for a Dollar!
I also remember driving with David, in a snow storm to a ToysR US in New Jersey as diapers where on sale!
Also, he was always , kindly, trying to find me a boyfriend in New York! I remember when he had tickets for drinks Party on a British Navy ship that came to NYC, he took me along and spent the whole evening trying to introduce me to young Navy Officers,

It has been nice to be able to visit you and David a little more in the last few years. David was always a gracious host, greeting us with the choice of tea or a G and T , always happy when we said yes! to the later!

His next question was always if I had brought a bread and butter pudding!

He so enjoyed having people for dinner, parties would last for hours with David enjoying a fiery conversation!. The next morning he would cook a pound of bacon while watching football, while we were all trying to get over the night before!

I am so many more happy memories, the Hampden-Smiths will dearly miss him.

He was a wonderful, funny and very caring man, who had a great love for you all, his messages to NZ talked of the wonderful bond and fun family times you have all had over the years.

Cherish those wonderful memories.

Was Victor a middle name at birth, yes it was. Did he get it legal removed, yes he did. Why? "VD" could be mistaken for "venereal disease."

Pure David Dean.