H. Dean Pace

MORGAN, UTAH – H. Dean Pace, age 86, passed away Saturday, September 28th, 2024, in Morgan, Utah.

He was born March 18, 1938, in Wanship, Utah, the son of Harvey E. Pace and Verla Richins Pace.

Dean married his high school sweetheart, Joan Foster, of Henefer, Utah in the Salt Lake Temple on September 6, 1957. They had been married for 67 years.

Dean’s mother, a talented pianist, violinist and organist, started Dean on piano lessons at the age of 5. When he was old enough, he also became his father's right-hand at the family’s farm milking cows twice a day, feeding cattle in winter, and hauling hay in the summer. He knew how to work hard and excel at whatever he undertook.

At age 15, Dean started giving piano lessons, which he continued to do for more than 65 years, teaching students of all ages from Morgan and Summit Counties. People would place their newborns on Dean’s waiting list to secure them a spot when turning 5 or 6 years old. He graduated from North Summit High School in Coalville, Utah with the class of 1956.

Dean attended BYU with his bride Joan, graduating in 1960 with a major in Music Education with an emphasis on piano and trombone. That same year, Dean began his high school music teaching career at Uintah High School in Vernal, Utah, where he taught for two years. He then took a position at Morgan High School in Morgan, Utah, teaching music for the Morgan School District for 17 years at the high school, and for 10 years at the middle school. Dean taught and directed award-winning bands and choirs during his entire career, producing and directing 17 musicals, creating indelible high school memories for all participating students. In middle school, he developed an electronic piano lab —the first of its kind— for 5th and 6th grade students. He always credited his successes to his wife, Joan, his behind-the-scenes executive assistant and stay-at-home mother of three sons.

After retirement, Dean continued performing, teaching piano, playing in a trombone choir, and, as his encore, he was elected Mayor of the City of Morgan for a four-year term. He also worked for Summerhays Music managing the instrument department in Salt Lake City, managed the Orem store, and opened its store in St. George, Utah. He continued farming in Wanship up until the death of his father. One of his favorite places was to be in a cab of a John Deere tractor, plowing, baling hay, loading dump trucks with gravel and even pulling a rock picker from the freshly plowed fields.

Dean was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he served in many callings including bishoprics, high councils, ward clerk, director of ward choirs, playing many beautiful piano and organ solos for various church services, and his favorite…ward organist. 

Dean was preceded in death by his parents Harvey and Verla, and his in-laws Joseph and Maxine Foster. He is survived by his wife Joan, three sons, Rick (Myron), Rod (Jodi) and Ryan (Janet), five grandchildren Matthew (Monet), Madeline (Caleb), Nathan, Baylee, Clint, and two great grandchildren Kylar and Will. He is also survived by his sister, RaNae Judd (Victor) and a brother-in-law Leland Foster (Linda).

A viewing will be held on Friday, Oct 11th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and prior to services on Saturday, Oct 12th from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 10 W. Young St. (the rock church), in Morgan, Utah.

Funeral services will be held on Sat, Oct 12th at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 10 W. Young St. (the rock church), Morgan, Utah.

Interment will follow the funeral service at the South Morgan City Cemetery.