Dean M. Bahr

Dean M. Bahr, 82, passed away suddenly on October 5, 2018 in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Dean, or "Mean Dean" as he would call himself, was anything but mean. He was always a very generous person and wouldn't think twice about helping a friend out in times of need.

He was born on December 30, 1935 in Iowa Falls, Iowa to Kermit and Beatrice Bahr. Dean lived and attended school in La Crescenta, Calif. where he met and married Jendon (Jan) Carstensen. Dean and Jan moved to Costa Mesa, Calif. where they had three children, Michael, Cynthia "Cindy", and Deeanne.

Dean made a living as a plumbing contractor and owned his own business, in Fallbrook, Calif., to where the family moved in 1975. Dean and Jan built their home on a gorgeous property, among the vast avocado orchards surrounding Fallbrook, and farmed avocados.

Upon Jan's death in 2000, Dean retired and moved to Lake Havasu City, where he was active with the Eagle's and Moose Lodges.

Dean was an avid fisherman and, while the children were growing up, the family frequently would camp at lakes in Southern California or the Colorado River. Some of Dean's favorite trips were to Baja California, where he and Jan even drove a dune buggy before Highway 1 was paved.

He also had a small collection of classic cars, and when he had time, he could be found tinkering under the hood of one of his cars. To say that he could fix anything would be an understatement.

Dean is survived by his daughters, Cindy (Bahr-Merrill) of Bend, Oregon and Deeanne (Edwards) of Sebastopol, California; his granddaughter Deena Merrill of Boise, Idaho; his sister, Audrey Kissire; several nephews and nieces, and his dear friend, Barbara Stilwell of Lake Havasu City, Arizona.