Donald 'Dean' Higgins Jr.

Donald ‘Dean’ Higgins Jr., 57, of Clarion passed away Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at his home.

Memorial services for Dean Higgins will be held at 12:00 PM on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at the Clarion Church of Christ, 420 North Main Street in Clarion, with Pastor Warren Curry officiating.  

Visitation will be held on Saturday, April 3 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the church.

Dean was born on July 1, 1963. He attended elementary school in Lake City and Hawarden, junior high in Lake City, and graduated from Pocahontas High School in 1981. Dean was running back and defensive back for the high school football team. After high school, Dean was in the Military Intelligence in the US Army from 1982 – 1986. He went to basic training in Fort Dix, New Jersey, AIT at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. Dean was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and then Wurzburg, Germany.

After being discharged from the Army, Dean moved to the Twin Cities and went through the carpenter journeyman school. Dean did carpenter work for about three years in the cities before moving back to Pocahontas where he was a machinist for three years. Dean moved to Rockwell City and worked at Opportunity Living as a therapeutic carpenter in Lake City and later commuted to Johnston while working at Children’s Habilitation Center as a rehabilitation technology supplier. Dean started a rehab wheelchair program doing wheelchair evaluations and custom building to meet the needs of pediatrics and adults with special needs for Excel Medical. He later started a rehab wheelchair program for Hanger Orthotics and Prosthetics and for the five largest Mercy Medical Centers in Iowa and for CarePro in Cedar Rapids. Dean also worked for Numotion and for Total Respiratory and Rehab.

In 2005, Dean spent two weeks in Zimbabwe, Africa and fit 146 wheelchairs at an orphanage where children were in desperate need of a form of mobility. Dean has a huge compassion for helping people, especially those who cannot help themselves. Dean has been “The Wheelchair Guy” since 1989.

Dean met the love of his life in 2013 and married Athena on December 31, 2013. Dean was very proud of his three sons’ accomplishments.

Dean as always had a passion for fishing for walleye. He fished professional walleye tournaments across the country for 10 years. Dean developed, owned, organized and emceed each event for Iowa Organized of Walleye Anglers (I.O.W.A). He also loved the outdoors – kayaking, boating, shooting, campfires, and of course riding the Harley with Athena. Dean is a member of the Clarion Church of Christ and was baptized in 2013.

Dean is survived by his wife Athena Higgins; three sons Anthony Higgins, Zachary Higgins, and Keaton Higgins; father Donald Higgins Sr. (Karen); siblings Jolene (Jim) Brown and Kurt Higgins; and many other family and friends.

He is preceded in death by his mother Judy Kay Higgins; and grandparents.