Dad was a farm boy with a gentle heart from Rogers, Minnesota. With deep commitment to his country, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943 at the age of nineteen. Embodying the Semper Fi promise, he endured WWII, and survived the battle of Iwo Jima. He also served duty on a minesweeper and a hospital ship in the Pacific and as an MP in Japan. Nicknamed “The Fiddler,” Dad played his violin to entertain his fellow soldiers throughout the war, a reflection of his lifelong love of music.
Three days after returning from the war, Dad met a pretty girl in a green plaid skirt and saddle shoes at a town dance. Patty became the mother of his five children and the love of his life. From that day on, every decision or sacrifice Dad made was dictated by his devotion to his family.
Kind, thoughtful, and gentle, Dad was a devoted father and grandfather whose integrity guided him to lead by example. A loyal friend, wise and fun-loving, Dad was able to live independently at home for more than 98 years, on his own terms. Ever-handsome and sharp as a tack, Dad maintained his youthful good looks through self-discipline and a healthy outlook.
Dad’s unwavering faith sustained him throughout his life and provided him significant comfort and peace in death.
Dad was our hero.… It is with immeasurable gratitude that we cherish the beautiful memories of him and the life he lived. His essence will live on in each of us and we will miss him immensely.
Hal is preceded in death by his son Stephen Dehn and survived by his children, Stephanie Muller, Scott Dehn, Jane Hoch, Colleen Kracklauer; and grandchildren, Travis Rund, Harrison Rund, Christian Rund, Nicholas Shemesh, and Stephanie Shemesh. A funeral mass will be held January 19th at 9:30 am at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Green Valley, AZ. Dad’s ashes will return home to Minnesota, where a funeral mass will be held at Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Rogers, MN on Thursday, January 26th at 11:00 am. Burial will follow at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis on Friday, January 27th at 1:45 pm.
“A good man chooses to do what is right. He places importance on family. A good man changes the world by his own example. He shapes the lives of his children with the strength of his love.”
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