Dean Carrigan

D. Dean Carrigan of Rising Sun Indiana passed away on Thursday, March 17, 2022 at the Waters of Rising Sun. He was the only child of John and Bernice Carrigan. He was born January 17, 1929 and was married to N. Jean Pendry September 15, 1948. To this union was born three children: Michael, Frank and Bonnie. Dean graduated from Rising Sun High School class of 1947 and went to a school in Cincinnati to learn sheet metal drafting. He later attended classes at Rutgers University and at American Management Association in New York City. Dean was a Sheet Metal Worker, and learned his trade in his father's shop. He joined the Sheet Metal Workers Union in Indianapolis and worked there for a while. When work was slow in his father's shop in the winter months he traveled south and worked in many of the southern states, returning to Rising Sun for the summer months. In 1943, during WW II, his father was working in a war production plant in Indianapolis and they needed helpers. (At that time, most men were drafted into the service.) Dean, at age fourteen, was hired as an apprentice Sheet Metal Worker and worked until school started in the fall. He boarded with his father during the week and came home for the weekends. While working in the south, he became acquainted with Ross Engineering who offered him employment as a job site superintendent. The job lasted almost thirty years. He did many projects in this country and worked in Europe, South America, Canada and Mexico. He was promoted several times and his last position was operation Manager. The first promotion required moving to New Jersey from Rising Sun to be in charge of all of the job site superintends. Ross Engineering did on average about 25M in sales each year, and did work worldwide. He also, represented his company on the board of directors for the Raritan Valley Chamber of Commerce. The company was liquidated in 1982 and he was transferred to another division, Surface Combustion, and he worked there as a job site superintendent for another four years before retiring in June of 1986. This required moving to Toledo, Ohio. After retiring, from Surface Combustion, he and Jean, moved back to Rising Sun, and Dean worked another ten years as a consultant doing supervision work in this country and in foreign countries for three different Engineering companies. While working for Somerset Tech, Inc. in New Jersey, preparing contract documents and other work before going to the field to supervise installation he was asked to do a special assignment. It was learned that President Ronald Reagan would visit Somerset Tech, Inc. to give a major foreign trade speech, and Dean was asked to be in charge of all of the necessary work required to prepare for the visit. Employees of Somerset Tech would be away to a sales convention, and they needed some one to represent the company during this ten day period. The visit was successful and Dean received a personal letter from President Ronald Reagan thanking him for his work during this period preparing for the visit. After retiring again, he opened his father's sheet metal shop and he also started doing wood work. He has done work for many people in this and in the surrounding area, making specialized furniture and sheet metal products. He has done several projects for the city of Rising Sun. He also became active in the Ohio County Museum Society serving on the board and as President. He did much of the work on the many projects that was done during these years.

Dean is survived by two sons; Michael Carrigan and wife Susan of Evans, GA and Frank Carrigan and wife Kathy, also of Evans, GA; by a daughter, Bonnie Carrigan and husband Larry Olsen, of Canton, GA; by four grandchildren, Dean, Ross, Caitlin and Jack Carrigan; by four great grandchildren, Bennett, Blakely, Hyatt and Everly and by his cousin and close friend, Dillon Dorrell and wife Mary, of Rising Sun, IN. Dean was preceded in death by his parents and by his wife, Jean Carrigan.

Memorial services will be held 11 AM, Saturday, April 16th, 2022 at the Markland Funeral Home in Rising Sun, IN with Eldon Fancher officiating. Burial will be at Rising Sun New Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Ohio County Historical Society. marklandfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dean Carrigan, please visit our floral store.