Politics & Government

Sewickley Councilman Remembered As 'Beautiful Person'

Dean S.C. Williams dies unexpectedly on Tuesday.

Sewickley Councilman Dean S.C. Williams bought his dream car, a new Lexus 460, on Monday.

His daughter, Pam Chandler, of McKinney, TX, said her father had dreamed about owning the car for so long.

“He was thrilled beyond belief,” Chandler said. “He was happy.”

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Williams died unexpectedly Tuesday at home. He was 68.

Council members Tuesday night held a moment of silence for their colleague and friend.

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Council President Robert Hague said he was saddened by the news and would prepare a statement about Williams to deliver at the upcoming council meeting.  Hague, who wore a tie Williams had given  to him, said he thought about canceling Tuesday’s meeting but knew Williams wouldn’t want that.

“He was a beautiful person,” Hague told Patch.

Chandler said her father was an amazing dad and an even greater grandfather.

“He had a really, really big heart, and he didn’t do anything just halfway, whether it was his career or as councilman,” she said. “He was a great father. He was always a person that we could call and count on. Yeah, he was a great.”

Williams grew up in Indiana, PA, and studied English education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He did his student teaching while serving in the military. He later worked for Travelers Insurance and moved to West Virginia, Connecticut, Texas and back to Pittsburgh, where he retired from the insurance company. He ran for council in 2009 and was elected to a four-year term.

Chandler said a group of people gave him a hard time in the last election, and his family questioned, “Why are you doing this?” Her father refused to give in, she said.

“He couldn’t do anything just a little bit,” she said.

About seven years ago, Williams underwent quadruple bypass surgery and of late had appeared to be in good health and good spirits.

Williams went to Texas March 1-8 to visit his daughter, who lives in the Dallas area. Chandler said her father had a nice trip but at one point complained to her that he wasn’t able to walk as fast as he used to and was starting to feel tightness in his chest.

“He was concerned he would have to repeat surgery,” she said, describing the heart procedure as an “awful” ordeal. “He didn’t want to go through it,” she said.

On the same day that Williams bought his dream car, his wife, Pat, went upstairs to check on him about 10 p.m. and found him reading a book.  In the morning, his daughter said, he still had the light on and the book was resting on his chest.

“He looked super peaceful,” Chandler said.

In addition to his wife and daughter Pam, Williams is survived by a daughter, Paige Kohr of Pennsylvania, and four grandchildren.

“He was a fantastic father, but he was 100 times better at being a grandfather. He just loved [his grandchildren]. They were his life,” said Chandler.

He was preceeded in death by his two dogs, Potato Chip and Pasha.

A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at Presbyterian Church-Sewickley, 414 Grant St. Viewings will be 2 p.m.-4 p.m and 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday at Irvine Chapel Copeland’s Funeral Home, 702 Beaver St., Sewickley.


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