Dean James Moilanen

Dean James Moilanen, 54, of Moorhead, MN, passed away on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in his home in Moorhead.

Dean was born on June 17, 1970, to Henry “Hank” and Sandra “Sandy” (Morss) Moilanen in Brainerd, MN. He lived in Baxter, MN, until he was three years old, when his family moved to Moorhead, MN, where he has lived ever since. He graduated from Moorhead High School in 1988 and immediately began working at Sun Mart/Family Fare for the next 36 years. During his time there, he began as a stocker and earned his way to the position as an assistant manager. Concurrently, he was united in marriage to Deidra Kostelecky on August 8, 2003, in Dickinson, ND. He started his secondary education in 2010, where he attended and graduated from Globe University in 2012 with an associate degree in I.T.

Dean was an avid fan of the Cincinnati Bengals and showed off his fandom with the many jerseys he owned. He was a modeling enthusiast and enjoyed putting together model cars and Star Wars figurines. He owned a large collection of baseball caps, enjoyed reading science fiction literature, and loved listening to any and all types of music, especially 80’s rock, hair metal, and jazz. He loved to play darts and belonged to numerous dart leagues in town and played softball for several years. He enjoyed outdoor activities such as camping and sitting by the fire drinking a beer or spending time at his best friend’s, Cody Christenson, cabin. Above all, he was especially proud of his children, Carson and MacKenzie and did his best to attend their events; which included AFJROTC activities, and their choir and band concerts.

Dean is survived by his children, Carson and MacKenzie Moilanen; mother, Sandy Moilanen; siblings, Mark (Cindy) Moilanen, Tony Moilanen, Scott (Tamara) Moilanen, and Jason (Sandi) Moilanen; former wife, Deidra; numerous nieces, nephews; and many other loving relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his father, Hank Moilanen.

Visitation will be from noon to 1:00 P.M., followed by the memorial service at 1:00 P.M., Thursday, April 17, 2025, at Wright Funeral Home, Moorhead, MN. A livestream of the service will be available on his webpage at www.wrightfuneral.com where a guestbook and video tribute may also be found.