Submitted by his Fianc_e

Captain Dean Stanfield was the type of man that went beyond the call of duty. Helping others came natural to Dean. More than a few times‚ the community saw him sacrifice his own well being to help others. If called upon to help‚ he would drop what he was doing whether it be work or play to help whomever needed it.

Simply said‚ Dean was loved by all that knew him‚ old and young. Without question‚ his heart held a special place for the elderly and children. He was a small town simple man with a big heart.

He was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting of any manner. He was proud of his small town roots and looked forward to having a family. We were to be married on October 10‚ 2007. Dean left us on September 10‚ 2007 and became a father exactly nine months to the day on June 10‚ 2008. I’m sure he would have been the proudest father in the world. Although Dean has left us‚ a big part of him remains and lives on through our daughter‚ Miss Julianna Dean Stanfield.

Dean was a Christian man. He wasn’t afraid to let you know he believed in the Lord. God gave Dean a beautiful voice and he used it to sing his praise.

In addition to being a volunteer fireman‚ Dean was also an HVAC technician. He enjoyed his work and worked late hours to help those that needed heat or air conditioning.

On September 10‚ 2007‚ Dean came home from work‚ we ate dinner and then he left to go to the weekly fire meeting at the station. I followed him out and a call came over the radio as we pulled out. I waved to him as I passed the scene. Never would I have dreamed that it would be the last time I saw him. He left the scene to return to the station and crashed a fellow firefighter’s motorcycle. He died instantly after he wrecked and struck a tree. It was a sad day for Anderson Fire Department and for all that knew him.

There are not words to describe a man as wonderful as Dean. He is missed by many friends and his family. I take pride in saying that he was my future husband and hope to one day tell his daughter how wonderful he was.