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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
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Dean Kenneth Berchenbriter
Dean Kenneth Berchenbriter
Cedar Rapids
Dean Kenneth Berchenbriter, 77, was born on July 23, 1947, and passed away on March 13, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
He was the firstborn of five children to Kenneth Dean Berchenbriter and Joanne Gensicke Berchenbriter Lamb. Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services is caring for his family.
Dean was raised on Sunnydale Dairy Farm in NW Cedar Rapids and attended the nearby one-room Stony Point School, where he was a student through 6th grade. Dean graduated from Shellsburg High School in 1965 and served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968 during the Vietnam War. Following military service, Dean entered the University of Iowa, earning a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Geology. He continued his studies in Geological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines from 1987-1988.
Following college at UI, Dean was employed as a geologist for mining and petroleum companies in Illinois, West Virginia, Indiana, and Colorado before returning to Iowa in 1989 to work for several engineering and environmental consulting companies. He began his own business, GeoServices, Inc., in 2006, performing environmental consulting and radon mitigation services.
Dean was a lifelong Iowa Hawkeyes fan. He enjoyed watching football and women's basketball, fishing, scuba diving, sports cars, 60's rock music, vintage radios, and exploring the world with his fellow traveler and University of Iowa alumni, Carol Peckenpaugh Berchenbriter, who became his bride in 1976 in Hinsdale, Illinois.
Dean is survived by his wife of 48 years, Carol; children, Thomas, Timothy, Cherrie (Joel) Girdner, Deanna, and Carolyn (Chuck) Cummins; sisters, Ann Tiedt, Lynn (Alan) Goya, and Dawn Trudeau; grandchildren, Zoey, Adalynne, Gia, Elyse, Lillian, Hayden, Ezra and William; and his loyal canine friend, Sherman.
His parents, and brother, Daniel, preceded him in death.
Dean was a member of Hillside Community Church for 30 years. He has chosen to donate his body to the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to lmpacto Ministries in San Juan, Guatemala (https://www.impactoministry.com).
Memorial services will be held at Hillside Community Church, 2600 1st Ave NW, Cedar Rapids, IA, on Saturday, April 5, at 10:00 am.
Please share your support and memories with Dean’s family on his Tribute Wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under obituaries.
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