Earl Dedman

Cleveland Earl Dedman, Jr. was born in Houston, Texas on January 26, 1941, to parents Cleveland Earl Dedman, Sr. and Tessie (Dean) Dedman.

Earl grew up in Conroe and the summer of 1957, his family moved to Beaumont, Texas.  His first day at French High School, Gloria told friends, “I’m going to go with that boy.”  Six months later, he finally asked her out.  Two and a half years later, on September 17, 1960, they were married at North End Methodist Church.

Earl attended Lamar Tech (now Lamar University), earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  His senior project was installing air conditioning in one of the buildings on campus.  He used that experience two years later when he and five neighbors added central air to the heating systems in their new houses in Doraville, Georgia. After living and working in Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston, Earl and Gloria settled in Plano in 1981.  He closed out his career with his own business, Dedman Facility Group, Inc.

As a father, Earl coached and cheered for David in football, basketball, baseball, and swimming and was Cubmaster for David’s Pack at Aldridge Elementary.  He happily watched Ruthie’s dance performances and recitals beginning when she was three.  When drill team replaced dance classes, he never missed a performance including dancing in the daddy/daughter dance at Plano Senior High School her senior year.

Earl and Gloria continued to follow the Plano Wildcats, rarely missing a game.  They had seats on the 50-yard line, four rows up, for 30 years. They enjoyed watching granddaughters Emmie and Ashleigh perform on drill team, grandson Justin play baseball, and grandson Aaron march in the band.

Earl enjoyed watching granddaughter Katie play softball, sing in the choir and perform in theatre at Richardson Magnet High School. He lived to attend Katie and Tim’s twin sons’ first birthday party.

Earl also became Cubmaster again when his grandson, Aaron, joined Cub Scouts. After years of tennis at Canyon Creek Country Club and snow skiing with the tennis group each winter in Aspen, Earl and his buddy, Neil Stampe, decided to try golf. They took many three-day golf trips where they played five rounds of golf.

Earl wore many hats at Christ United Methodist Church in Plano.  He was on the Board of Trustees twice, worked on all the houses built by the church as a part of the “House on the Corner” project for ten years, went on mission trips after natural disasters, accompanied the youth groups on summer projects, and volunteered to be Project Manager for the church when the new sanctuary and columbarium were built.

Earl is survived by his loving wife Gloria Dedman; children David Earl Dedman and his wife Alicia and Ruthie Gray and her husband Mike; grandchildren Amy Dedman, Katie Radke and her husband Tim, Logan, Clay and Erin Duckworth, Emmie Bowles and her husband Riley, Aaron Davis, Ashleigh Blakley and her husband Kyle and Justin Gray; great grandchildren Luke and Ryan Radke; brother-in-law Gary Shannon and his wife Susan Trainor.  He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Peggy Dedman Scott.

There will be a memorial service to celebrate Earl’s life Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church, 3101 Coit Road, Plano, Texas, officiated by Rev. Chris Dowd.

Earl will be laid to rest at the Christ United Methodist Church Columbarium, Plano, Texas.

If desired, contributions may be made in Earl’s name to Christ United Methodist Church.