DECEASED ALUM:  DEAN McALISTER (FHHS '73) 

Obituary

Dean H. McAlister 4/4/1954 -7/2/2021

Dean McAlister was born in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh where his parents, Herb and Nancy grew up with lots of loving Italian and Scotch Irish relatives. They moved to Virginia when he was young where Herb and Nancy added a sister Renee that he was not only close to in age but also close at heart. They went to Fort Hunt High School in Alexandria, Va. with such a great group of classmates that are close to this day. Dean then went to Chowan College and was offered a job with Allegheny Airlines.

Working for the airlines he flew to Florida to visit friends and met Sandy at University of Miami and he insisted that she share her life with him, so they married and moved to Massachusetts to work in the family tire business, Sharkey Tire and Rubber, Inc. where Dean was in management, earned numerous awards, belonged to Rotary Club International and was a Radial T/A Specialist for BF Goodrich. Along the way two sons Greg and Nick came along and as Dean had an athletic background, he volunteered to coach soccer for his growing boys until they knew more about the game than he did so he became a Super Dad supporter.

Dean always had talent and creativity for building, woodworking, and inventing solutions for any type of issues, so he was offered a team position building mansions in McLean, Virginia including Congressman Nelson’s replica of his wife’s family mansion here in Florida. He morphed into working in commercial building with a security clearance in the DC area and continued doing that here in Florida when the family relocated south for the warm weather. Dean received a State Craftsman’s Award for his talent and was honored for his skills and talent here in Florida.

Dean retired from building and helped Sandy with McAlister Properties LLC here in Florida. His support was invaluable to helping build the business to help others find their Florida Dream.

Pictured below is Dean’s hotrod and he always had a car project in the works. He was written up in magazines and won many car show awards along the way. His cars like his building projects were innovative and stunning. He was called “The Crowd Pleaser” for many reasons and addition to his “No Problem Award” that came about from working on those mansions in Virginia where he was a mentor to those that worked with him so he could give back to his industry.

Join his family in celebrating Dean’s life on July 17th, 2021, at Yates Funeral Home in Port St. Lucie, Fl. Sandy, Greg, Nick, Nery, Jess, Nancy, Renee, Chris, Robin, Don, and Donna want you to know that he thought the world of you and his memory lives on with all of you.

Respectfully submitted with love by Sandy McAlister

Gathering of Family and Friends July 17th, 2021, at 1:30PM at Yates Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Port Saint Lucie 2526 SW Port Saint Lucie Boulevard Port Saint Lucie, FL 34953 Donations in Dean’s memory can be made to Juvenile Diabetes (JDRF) jdrf.org or Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, hstc1.org

Dean's prized Custom Car: