Editor:

Dylan Corlett visited Evanston this past week to clean out Dean’s work shop at the old post office. (Dean Corlett was found dead, allegedly murdered, in his Evanston home in September 2016). Dylan is donating Dean’s extensive selection of wood working tools to the school district so students will have access to them. 

Dean’s career was a machinist for the government. He was very talented as a musician, guitar player and vocalist. He was a member of the Episcopal Church and built a cross that still stands in the church.

When he was young, he had a bout with polio that affected him in his latter days. He helped a lot of people over the years with their addictions. His generosity might have been his downfall.

Dean opened and closed Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for several years in my building. That is how I met him. He rented space from me and we would talk before the meetings. I would close the store and we would talk from 5:30 p.m. until the time he opened meetings at 7. My wife got used to holding supper for me on meeting nights.  

Dean was very smart and I enjoyed talking about geology, weather changes and politics with him. He was my friend.  

Dylan talked about having a wake for him, including a music jam with some of the people he used to play with.  That never happened.

Dean was a gentle soul. I will miss seeing him walking up the street with his baggy pants, white straw hat and key chain that had a space cadet fob and the little horn he carried on his chain. Dean didn’t deserved to die the way he did.    

Rick Sather

Evanston