Ron Dean, 1938 – 2025

Character actor Ron Dean, 87, died on Oct. 5. The Chicago native often played tough-guy roles, in such movies and TV shows as The Fugitive, The Dark Knight, The Breakfast Club (as Emilio Estevez’s father), Risky Business, The Color of Money, Wiseguy, Cocktail, The Client, Murder She Wrote, Chicago Hope, The West Wing, and Six Feet Under. He was also seen onstage, notably with Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater Company. Dean’s partner, Maggie Neff, said, “It’s hard to capture what an extraordinary human being Ron was. One glamorous woman friend of Ron’s once told me that she’d rather grab a hot dog with Ron Dean than have a fancy dinner with some rich bloke. I have always felt the same way.”