Obituary of Dean William Hilken

Dean W. Hilken, age 87, of Bloomington passed away on May 22, 2024. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Kathryn, his parents, and his brothers David and Lynn and sister-in-law Val. He is survived by children Jodi (Rich), Janet (Gary), Jeff, 6 grandchildren, 1 great-granddaughter, brother Herb (Jane), sister-in-law Carol, many nieces, and a nephew.

At the tender age of seven, Dean started working with his older brother, Lynn, delivering the morning Tribune and evening Star newspapers. He traded in his newspaper route for building silos with his father in the summers once he reached high school. Dean loved to tell stories from throughout his life and we’ve had the privilege to hear these stories particularly in the past few years. He spoke fondly of growing up in a small town, good friends, and having the opportunity to participate in many activities such as sports, band, and choir. He was quite a soloist throughout life, until his retirement. He sang at weddings, funerals, and church services.

Dean and Kathryn started first grade together and were high school sweethearts in Trimont, MN. They were engaged for his three years of military service in the Army – 28 months of which Dean spent overseas. He was a mechanic for smaller fixed-wing aircraft, stationed in Japan. Upon his return home, they married, moved to the Twin Cities, raised three children, and were dedicated to each other and family for their almost 66-year marriage.

Dean graduated from the University of Minnesota business school in 1962 with a concentration in traffic and transportation. Following his college degree, he worked at Coast-to-Coast, Continental Machines, and Midwest Airfreight Shippers Association (MASA). In his middle years, he also taught courses on the transportation industry at two community colleges.

Golf was a hobby in his early to mid-adult years, but the Hilken tradition of playing cards was a life-long love. Many wonderful hours were spent playing Cribbage, Whist, Five Hundred, and Tripoly with family and friends.

Many of Dean’s evenings were filled with watching his children and grandchildren playing various sports and singing or playing in concerts. Other organizations on which Dean focused his time included his professional fraternity Delta Nu Alpha, the Hillcrest United Methodist church choir, in which he sang with Kathryn for decades, and various church committees.

Dean loved to travel – especially if it was a road trip! He planned great family vacations, often driving overnight, to enable more time for fun during the day. He enjoyed taking fishing trips with his brothers when they were all mostly retired. Many cribbage games, stories, and laughs were shared on those special trips. A standout adventure was a driving trip to Alaska with his brother Herb. We all heard many stories of that wonderful experience.

Taking care of his family in all generations was Dean’s purpose in life. This mindset was accomplished quietly, but it infused so many of his daily decisions surrounding his wife, mother, sister-in-law, children, and grandchildren. Dean probably wouldn’t recognize this in himself, but his friends and family have witnessed and appreciated this strength time and time again.

We will be joining to remember and celebrate Dean’s life on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at the Cremation Society of Minnesota in Edina, 7110 France Ave. S., Edina, MN 55435. The memorial service is at 10:00 AM with visitation beginning at 9 AM. There will be coffee and donuts served after the service. A private family burial will follow at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

We would like to thank the staff at Nine Mile Creek Senior Living and Grace Hospice for their support of Dean and our family during this difficult time. If you desire to give a memorial, donations can be made in Dean’s name to the American Heart Association to further research for a cure. (https://www.heart.org/)