Obituary of Dean Oakes

Dean Gordon Oakes was born at Christmastime in 1936.  He was raised by Joe and Evelyn Oakes on a farm in rural Emmet county, where he learned to appreciate livestock and the land, and to be capable, thrifty, and resourceful. Dean was always curious, with wide-ranging interests. He was fascinated with history seemingly from birth and collected historical artifacts and stories throughout his entire life. In particular, Dean enjoyed cars. He learned to drive on the “putt-putt” go-cart his father made for him (using a washing machine motor) to travel the two miles to and from his country school, dog trotting alongside.  Dean was six.

After high school, Dean attended Iowa State University, where he began dating his high school classmate, Evelyn. They married in 1958 and moved back to rural Iowa to farm for several years before completing their education at the University of Iowa. While at the U, Dean and two friends decided to open a coin shop, which began his second career, as a numismatist.  Dean continued to work as a farmer and numismatist throughout his life. But his wide ranging interests, his keen entrepreneurial sense, and his impressive work ethic contributed to success for Dean in a remarkable range of endeavors. He has been the owner of the Oakes Family Century Farm and has been involved in real estate development in Johnson County and elsewhere. He served on the board of the Iowa State Historical Society for decades. He also established the Antique Car Museum of Iowa and is co-founder of the Museum of Money in Okoboji Iowa.

His professional accolades are many, including awards for outstanding contributions to the field of paper money collecting, awards for specific collections, and literary awards for his books about national bank notes. He is a past president of the Iowa Numismatic Association. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Professional Numismatists Guild in 2025 and was admitted to the Society of Paper Money Collectors Hall of Fame in 2021.

However, all who knew him knew the real foundation and center of Dean’s life was not his work, but his faith in Jesus Christ and his love and care for his family. He was a three time elder at St. Andrew Presbyterian church. He served on the board of Young Life in Iowa City for many years, and has given generously to support charitable Christian organizations locally and around the world.

He was a man who defied easy categorization. Equally at home in coveralls and business suits, in boardrooms, banks, and barns, Dean enjoyed getting to know people from all walks of life and from anywhere in the world. And while he was a serious and successful businessman, he was a caring and often whimsical husband, father, and grandfather. He loved life, from traveling around the world to walking down the hill to feed Horace, his bull. His children and grandchildren love to tell stories about Dad/Grandpa’s latest exploits, and there were always new stories to tell. He was unfailingly generous but also didn’t believe in needless waste. No pop can went unretrieved if Dean Oakes saw it. He was comfortable with who he was and acted accordingly. He was a character, in all the best ways one can inhabit that term.

Dean believed in doing work that was useful and interesting, and in working hard. He was known for being honest and fair in his business dealings, seeking to make mutually advantageous deals. He was always self employed, and astounded his medical team when they discovered he was still going to the office or meetings several days a week in his last months of life.  Dean refused to tell his trainer at the gym how old he was, lest the trainer think he was less capable than he was. He worked hard to stay active and in shape, and yet when he got sick, he practiced his belief that we should not worry about tomorrow, as scripture advises us, but do our best to enjoy each day we are given.

Dean’s growing family has been his greatest joy, especially since he was an only child. He is survived by his much beloved wife of 67 years, Evelyn, and their four children and their spouses:  Sally & Laird Edman of Decorah, IA, Perry & Beth Oakes of Dallas, TX, Rita & Jim Kenyon of Iowa City, and Scott & Carolyn Oakes of Polk City, IA, as well as their 12 grandchildren and spouses, Christopher (& Amanda) Edman, Andrew Edman, Alyssa (& Philip) Jackson, Jennifer (& Taylor) Lovett, Jonathan (& Meghan) Oakes, Rebekah Oakes, Jake Kenyon, Zackary Kenyon, Jordan (& Eimile) Oakes, Sara (& Zachary) Lang, Ashley (& Jacob) Arrington, and Nathan Oakes, as well as 14 great grandchildren.  The large, chaotic twice yearly extended family gatherings of this clan filled Dean with wonder and gratitude.  He was a profoundly loved and respected patriarch who taught us how to live well and, now, how to die well - in the full confidence and comfort of the resurrection.

Funeral services and a reception will be held on Friday, March 27 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Iowa City.  Burial will be held on March 28 at 2:00 at High Lake cemetery in Emmet County, Iowa. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, March 26 at Gay and Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a memorial fund established in Dean’s honor. To share a thought, memory, prayer or condolence with his family, one can visit www.gayandciha.com.