Obituary of Dr. Dean Edward Wintermute

Dr. Dean Edward Wintermute, 86, of Cooper, Texas passed away on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at his home.  Dr. Wintermute requested a private family burial that was conducted on February 17, 2018 at 4:00 P.M. with the assistance of Delta Funeral Home.  There will be a celebration of his life on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at 2:00 P.M. at the First United Methodist Church in Cooper.  Visitation will take place at 1:00 just prior to the service. 

Dean was born to Charles and Ruby (Jones) Wintermute on July 28, 1931 in Taylor County, Iowa.  He attended school at Gay Center School in Taylor County and graduated from Bedford High School in Bedford, Iowa.  Dean then attended Northwest Missouri State University graduating with a BS in Chemistry.  He graduated as a Doctor of Osteopathy from Kansas City College of Osteopathy and Surgery in Kansas City, Missouri in May of 1957. 

Dr. Wintermute began his medical practice in Amarillo, Texas doing general office practice.  He moved to Ladonia when Dr. Gordon Marcum needed a doctor to cover his practice while he recovered from a heart attack.  Following Dr. Marcum’s recovery, Dean moved his family to Cooper, Texas and purchased and opened Reed Memorial Hospital at the age of 28 in 1959.  He then purchased the West Delta School and renovated it into a 34 bed hospital in 1962.  Wintermute Memorial Hospital served over 6000 patients in a 150 mile area with half of all patients exceeding 65 years old.  He performed over 1500 major surgical procedures with only one surgical death and delivered over 450 babies.  He also founded, directed and instructed a state licensed school of Vocational Nurses from 1962-1964.

In 1968, Dr. Wintermute converted the hospital into the 52 bed Klondike Nursing Home.   He sold this business and continued in general practice in Ladonia, Cooper and Greenville.  Other careers following his general practice were working many emergency rooms in Texas and Missouri, physician with the Texas Department of Corrections, and Rusk State Hospital.  In retirement he saw patients on an as needed basis and maintained his medical license in Texas and Missouri until his death receiving his CME hours by attending medical conventions throughout Texas with the last one being last fall. 

Other hobbies and interests included woodworking, farming, gardening, reading, traveling, and he was a licensed pilot.  He was a 50+ year member of the Masonic Lodge, 50+ member of the Kansas City College of Medicine, a member of the 500 club with Scottish Rite Hospital, and a member of the American Medical Association.  He practiced philanthropy by donating to over 30 charitable organizations.

Survivors include his sister, Jennifer Knotts of Gilbert, Arizona, brothers, Don (Mary) Wintermute of Punta Gorda, Florida and Jesse (Joann) Wintermute of Paris.  Children include Diane (Scotty) Stegall of Cooper, Delaine (Tom) Fast of Garland, Doug (Pam) Wintermute of Jacksonville, Dalen (Lisa) Wintermute of Trophy Club, Delinda Leatherwood of Cooper, and Dohrman (Francie) Wintermute of North Richland Hills.  Grandchildren include Shawn (Amy) Stegall, Shelly (Jay) Faulkner, Corwin (Lindsey) Olson, Shey (Regan) Stegall, Cambri Olson, Sarah Wintermute, Kasey Leatherwood, Kolton Leatherwood, Preston Wintermute, Emily Wintermute, Ryan Wintermute, and Lauren Wintermute,.  Dean had eight great-grandchildren.

If you desire in lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Scottish Rite Hospital https://community.tsrhc.org, American Heart Association https://donatenow.heart.org, Delta County Public Library 300 W Dallas Ave, Cooper, TX 75432, or Maroon and Gray Foundation http://www.maroonandgray.org/donate.