Dean A Harper

OAKLEY – Dean A. Harper passed away peacefully at home on June 14, 2023, after a courageous fight with terminal cancer.

The son of Arnold Keith and Darlene Harper, he was born August 2, 1959, in Burley, ID. One of four sons, he helped run the family dairy farm in Oakley, ID. Besides farm chores, he pleased his brothers passing manly initiations; electric fence urination, hail storm tricycle riding, and milk, cooler incarceration.

As a teenager joined a rock band, playing rhythm guitar parts with lifelong mates: Craig Boren (bass), Dale Bench (lead guitar), and Mark Wadsworth (drums). A heartthrob, he played many dances, and concerts for the youth in Magic Valley. In 1978 he graduated from Oakley High School where he had enjoyed performing as a band, in theater, and as a choir member.

Serving an LDS mission to Central Canada from 1978-1980, he developed a love for the land and the people, especially the indigenous populations near Kamsack, Saskatchewan, who taught him to snare rabbits and gave him bannock bread during a long mail strike.

He attended Brigham Young University for a 1980 semester, where he sang and soloed in two choirs, took vocal operatic performance classes, etc. In 1981-1982, he attended the University of Utah on a full-tuition vocal scholarship, exploring interests in music and electronic engineering.

After meeting over a Steinway grand, and a romantic one-year courtship, he married his soulmate, Sandra L. Lewis in the Salt Lake Temple, on May 6, 1982. They recently celebrated 41 years as a happily married couple in May.

Three years later, a beautiful little daughter was born, whom he adored, enjoyed having fun with and was very protective of. With great pride, he introduced her to everyone and played an active roll in her care.

Professionally, he completed a private recording engineering program with Tracy Jorgensen, an Osmond Studio Audio Engineer, working on projects at the Osmond Studios. Michael McDonough also mentored him in sound design for radio drama and film, where he assisted in the completion of the 1985 Peabody Award winning radio drama series: “The Bradbury Thirteen Series”.

Working at the University of Utah from 1982-1996, as an audio engineer and electronic technician, he set up new sound systems, taught recording classes, recorded live and studio productions for symphonic, marching band, choral, operatic, chamber, and solo concerts, recitals & album projects for students and professors.

Starting Imagisphere Creative Sound Design, he developed a reputation for perfection and endless creativity designing a unique sound effects library for commercial, film, music projects, and creating the original sounds for the Ogden George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park. He also composed, performed, recorded, edited, created the cover design, and produced a collection of 12 original songs in various rock, country, and alternative styles: You’re Dancing on My Heart, CD. in 2016 (1 collection of the many songs he wrote). On The Preludes, CD. 2016, he recorded, co-edited, and professionally cover-photographed for wife, Sandra’s classical piano compilation (1 of several professional recordings he made for her).

A very talented craftsman, he restored a Victorian home, and acted as foreman, building a new home and studio in Southern Oregon, with Sandra’s decorating skills. He also built fancy kitchen cabinets, a dresser, a fancy doll display case, a weather station, a toy kitchen set, a medicine cabinet, a guitar, hammered dulcimer hammers, tool boxes, a clock pen set, etc.

People remember him as friendly, teasing, full of fun, strong-liked to wrestle and work hard, protective and loving towards his wife & family, and empathetic service towards others.

Missed will be his beautiful guitar accompaniment to his expressively gorgeous voice, walks on the beach, creative projects, critiques of his wife’s art, intellectual conversations, skeptical thinking, auto mechanic & technical skills, and abundant expression of daily love & affection.

Survived by loving wife, Sandra of Portland; daughter, Natasha Dawn (Glenn III) Lafayette; and his cherished grandchildren: Theodore Alan Hall, and Vivian Janine Hall, who will miss his guitar playing and teaching.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold Keith & Darlene Harper; and one brother, Kennard Harper.

Cremation will take place with no funeral or burial until his ashes are mixed with his beloved wife’s when she passes.

The melody-the rhythm, the harmony you brought to our lives, will never be the same.