Dean Carlyle Hirschi

Dean Carlyle Hirschi was born December 29, 1924 In Van Nuys, Los Angeles County, California to Arthur Hirschi and Helen M. Mani Hirschi. He experienced an idyllic childhood growing up on Odessa Avenue, a home with a one-acre backyard where the neighborhood children would congregate to enjoy the clubhouse, tunnels and caves. Dean was always with his younger brother, Dick, and was also surrounded by a close and loving extended family, including his cousins Jerry, Sergene, and Lois who lived next-door.
Dean attended Havenhurst Elementary School and Van Nuys High School, where he graduated in 1943. Starting from early childhood, Dean was known for his out-going and affable nature, and he built many friendships, some of which lasted his entire lifetime. He had the ability to make others feel loved and special and was a positive influence in thousands of lives. One particularly notable friendship was with the movie star Marilyn Monroe, who was known as Norma Jean Baker at the time she attended high school with Dean.
Upon graduation, Dean joined the Navy as a Fire Control Man, 2nd Class serving on the destroyer USS Robinson. Prior to leaving for war, Dean had been given a priesthood blessing by his father stating that he would have guardian angels to watch over and protect him. One of these angels was “Robby” whom the sailors believe protected the Robinson from harm and could be the only explanation why the ship had survived so many close calls. Robby had many ways of making his presence known, including playing the song “Danny Boy” with bagpipes over the battle circuits while the Robinson was under kamikaze attack. Dean promised the Lord that if no one would die on his watch he would find a way to pay Him back by dedicating himself to serving Him in any way he could. Dean’s prayers were answered as the Robinson had no fatalities, and it was the only ship in the fleet not to be struck by the enemy.
Dean had the opportunity to fulfill his promise when in 1948 he was called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Switzerland and Austria. While serving in Interlochen, Switzerland Dean met Lydia Mueller and her family, who were investigating the church. He was quite taken with Lydia, but thought that there was no way that someone as popular as her would still be single by the time he completed his mission. The work in Switzerland was challenging, but rewarding. There were not a lot of conversions, and much of Dean’s work involved promoting unity among the church members.
After one year in Switzerland, Dean began serving in Austria. During his first days in Austria he was stunned to learn that he would teaching the gospel to proud members of the Nazi party that he had fought so hard to defeat. However, as his mission progressed, Dean developed a great love for the Austrian people as he was able to forgive them and demonstrate that the gospel of Christ has the power to heal all wounds. After serving as a missionary for two years, Dean left his mission six months early when he was mistakenly diagnosed with Tuberculosis. He was sent to recuperate at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, where he was visited by Ruth and Hannah Mueller, who had converted to the church and immigrated to America. Their sister Lydia would soon follow.
Dean proposed to Lydia in the chicken coop at his parent’s home, and they were sealed together for time and all eternity in a double wedding ceremony along with Dick and Ruth in the Mesa Arizona temple on April 7, 1952. Dean and Lydia had three children: Dean, Jon, and Becky. They were also foster parents for three years to Darrell Paiz while participating in the church’s Indian Student Placement Program. In 1963, Jon experienced the first of many seizures of an unknown cause, resulting in a drastic change in his personality and intellectual functioning. He went on to develop serious disabilities which were never successfully treated. Dean remained patient and loving with Jon his whole life until Jon passed away in 2011.
Dean worked for the National Weather Service from 1952 until 1989. His first assignment was at an isolated weather station in Blue Canyon in Northern California where his main responsibility was sending in weather reports. After five years Dean was transferred to the Salt Lake City office where he worked as a research assistant doing detailed mathematical equations to predict the weather in the pre-computer era. He was also responsible for sending out weather balloons. After ten years in Salt Lake City, Dean transferred to the Logan office located on the campus of Utah State University. His territory initially covered all of Utah and Nevada, and he sometimes worked 14-hour days visiting the weather stations in remote locations.
Dean served faithfully in many church callings throughout his life, and was always very devoted to serving others, particularly members of his immediate and extended family. Everyone will remember him as the ideal friend and neighbor. After 51 years of a very happy marriage, Lydia passed away in 2003 from cancer of the esophagus. Dean passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 17, 2019 at his home in Bountiful, Utah at age 94. He is survived by his brother Dick and his wife Ruth; his son Dean and his wife Helen and their children Roman and Adelaide; and his daughter Becky New and her husband John, and their sons Johnny and Nicholas.
Service Information
Viewing January 22, 2019 at 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Memorial Lake View Mortuary, 1640 East Lakeview Drive, Bountiful, Utah





Viewing January 23, 2019 at 10:00 - 10:45 AM
LDS Chapel, 3350 South 100 East, Bountiful, Utah





Funeral Service
January 23, 2019 at 11:00
LDS Chapel, 3350 South 100 East, Bountiful, Utah