Dean Golden Kishpaugh

Dean Golden Kishpaugh died April 21, 2021 in Reno, Nevada at the age of 95. He was born on March 7, 1926 in Haysprings, Nebraska to Marvin and Ida Kishpaugh.

He lived in Crawford, Nebraska as a young boy until his family moved to Southern California in the late 1930s. He attended Excelsior High School in Norwalk, California.

Dean served in World War II in the U.S. Army. He was a sergeant in the infantry in the Philippine Islands. After the war, he went to work as a carpenter. He later met and married Betty Lou Shutts in 1949 in Lakewood, California. Shortly after getting married, he attended night classes and received his GED.

Dean and Betty lived in Downey, California and had three sons there: Daniel, Richard, and David. Dean worked for Brunzell Construction Company in California. Brunzell Construction transferred him to Reno, Nevada in 1959 to supervise the construction of many big projects like the Pioneer Theater Auditorium in Reno and the Cal Neva Lodge at Lake Tahoe. His son, John, was born in Reno in 1963.

The family joined the LDS Church in 1968 after visiting Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were sealed in the Oakland, California Temple in 1969. He was bishop of the Mt. Rose 2nd Ward in the Reno, Nevada Stake from 1972 to 1976.

Dean started his own construction company named Crest Heights Company of Nevada in 1982. The company built small commercial buildings and did other remodeling work of businesses. His sons, Daniel, David, and John helped him operate the business.

Dean and Betty served an LDS Church mission to Fresno, California from 1994 to 1995. After retirement, Dean and Betty served as temple ordinance workers at different times in the Oakland California Temple, the Las Vegas Nevada Temple, and the Reno Nevada Temple.

In 2002, Dean and Betty moved to Queen Creek, Arizona. They traveled to Germany in 2005 to meet relatives who live there and do some genealogy work. Betty, the love of his life, died in 2011. In 2016 Dean moved back to Reno.

In his earlier years, Dean enjoyed hunting and fishing. He also enjoyed going on vacations with his family in their travel trailer.

Dean will always be remembered as a hardworking man dedicated to taking care of his family and being of service to others.

Dean leaves behind his four sons and their wives: Daniel (Mary), Richard (Brenda), David (Lynn), and John (Darcine). He had 25 grandchildren and 43 great grandchildren. He is also survived by two sisters, Marlene Cameron and Mary Granger. His brother, William (Bill), proceeded him in death.

He will be laid to rest on May 6, 2021 next to his wife, Betty, at the Veteran’s National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.