Dean L. Ferris, USAF Veteran, age 86, of the Bent Tree Community in Jasper, Georgia, passed away peacefully after a brief illness, on Friday, June 5, 2026. He was born in Charleston, Illinois, in 1940, to Howard and Dorothy French Ferris.

Mr. Ferris is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Judy, his son, Christopher Ferris of Charlotte, North Carolina; his daughters, Stacey Ferris of Atlanta, Georgia and Cathy Brush, and Cathy’s husband, William Brush of Sarasota, Florida; and his cherished grandchildren, Benjamin Ferris and his wife Molly, Samantha Ferris, Sophia Ferris, Navy Ferris, Isabella Brush, Christina Brush, and Lindsey Brush. He was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother, Charles.

After graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1962, Dean proudly served in the United States Air Force as a pilot and pilot instructor. During his military service, Dean was stationed in El Paso, Texas, Newfoundland, Canada, and Topeka, Kansas. During these service years, Dean piloted the large cargo plane, the C130, around the world, flying primarily to Europe and South America. Following his military service, beginning in Indianapolis Indiana in 1970, he enjoyed a long and successful career as a Sales Engineer and Manager for Johnson Controls (JCI), where the family remained until 1983. Subsequently, he was promoted and relocated to Madison, Wisconsin where he was a Branch Manager. Later, he was asked to move to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and then Atlanta, Georgia where he served as Manager and Director for the Southeast Region of the United States for JCI. After more than 25 years with JCI, Dean and Judy retired to the Bent Tree Community, where they enjoyed spending time together and playing golf. For several sequential July holidays, Dean and Judy hosted their grandchildren at Bent Tree for "Grandparent Camp". Over their many years of retirement in Bent Tree, Dean and Judy were active at the Jasper United Methodist Church, participated in many community-based activities, and made many long-term friends.

Cagle Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Dean L. Ferris.