Bobbye Ann Dean

Bobbye Sims Voris Dean went to be with her Lord on December 28, 2009. She was born December 16, 1926 Montrose, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, the daughter of Robert Lee Sims and Anna Bostick. She moved to Kingsland, Arkansas in 1929 where she resided until 1950. She graduated from Kingsland High School, University of Arkansas at Monticello with a BSE degree in Education and Music, and from the University of Arizona in Tucson with a Masters degree in Education. Bobbye taught public school for 33 years; 4 years at Fairview Elementary in Camden, Arkansas, 7 years at Ajo Elementary in Ajo, AZ and 22 years at E C Nash Elementary(Amphitheater School District)in Tucson. Her greatest desire was to educate her students, to teach honor and respect of others and love and patriotism of country. She was a member of The American Education Association, the U of Arkansas Alumni Association, the U of Arizona Alumni Association, and the Delta Gamma Sorority. Bobbye was married to James Randolph Merritt and had a daughter, Sharon Merritt. Her husband, James Willis Dean preceded her in death. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Curtis Kea; two grandsons, Curt Kea of Aurora and Eric Kea of New York City; one great-grandson, Nicholas Andrew Kea of New York City. She spent years using her lyric soprano voice to entertain many organizations and churches in Arkansas and Arizona. Bobbye was an avid University of Arkansas Razorback fan and University of Arizona Wildcat Basketball fanatic. She was Southern Baptist and served in several positions at different churches, her most recent as pianist at Morningside Baptist in Tucson until her illness in 2006. At the time of her death she was a member of Mississippi Avenue Baptist Church in Aurora, CO. Her former ministers, Bill Kennedy and George S Watters, Jr., will officiate at her memorial service on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at 1PM, at Morningside Baptist Church, 5902 E. 29th St, Tucson, AZ. Please no flowers, but memorials may be made in Bobbye's honor to Morningside Baptist Church, Mississippi Ave. Baptist Church ESL Fund, 13231 E. Mississippi Ave, Aurora, CO 80012 or your favorite charity.