Dean Kenneth Reger

Dean Reger passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, September 27 at the age of 83 in Catonsville, Maryland. He was a devoted husband and father filled with caring and good humor and will be greatly missed. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Isabelle and Amos Reger, Dean grew up in Kalamazoo where scouting was a big part of his childhood culminating in his becoming an Eagle Scout and shaping his love for the natural world. After graduating from Kalamazoo Central High School and spending three years in the US Navy, he married Nancy McKean on December 18th, 1965 whom he had met several years earlier at a Richland High School dance. Dean received a BS degree from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Michigan.

Dean spent 22 years in various management positions with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the longest of which was Deputy Manager of the Baltimore Office where he worked as a partner with Maryland cities developing affordable housing and community improvement projects. After early retirement from HUD, he became Regional Manager for Cooperative Services Inc., overseeing the development of affordable apartment buildings for low income seniors in the Baltimore region. Dean was an active volunteer in school, church and Recreation Council sports over the years. Retiring in 1998, he enjoyed winters with this wife, Nancy, in the Sarasota-Bradenton FL area and summers in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains at Alpine Lake WV. During retirement he continued to be an active volunteer at church and in the community, mentoring high school students, helping with revitalization efforts where he lived in WV, and also finding time to play tennis and golf, go birding, kayak on the rivers, and travel in the western US and abroad. Attending a wide variety of musical events with Nancy was a favorite past-time. Dean admired good creative writing and poetry with clever use of words and enjoyed producing essays and poems that celebrated family and nature. He especially treasured time and trips with his family, grandchildren and good friends.

Dean is survived by his wife of 59 years, Nancy Reger, his sons, Christopher Reger (Lisa), Nathan Reger (Julia), grandchildren Natalie, Graham, Clive and Ryan, sister Donna Delobel, brothers-in-law Richard McKean, Tom Ninni and Steve Pettit, sister-in-laws, Kathy McKean and Deborah McKean Ninni and a wide circle of nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his two sisters, DeAnne Vining and Deborah Pettit and brother-in-law, Donald McKean. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to Gilchrist Hospice at

https://gilchristcares.org/donate/ or the Alzheimer’s Association at https://alz.org

A celebration of Dean’s life will be held at the chapel of the Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville MD on Saturday, December 27th, 2025 at 11am. The family will receive friends from 10 to 11 at the chapel followed by the service at 11 and reception after the service.