John Dever Obituary

John Patrick Dever
John Patrick Dever of New Milford, Connecticut, was born on October 1, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois. He was the third child born to Gladys Dever née Waters from Maidstone, England, and Peter Dever from Balleycastle, Ireland. John attended St. Clement's Elementary School and St. Michael's Central High School in Chicago. In 1956, he graduated from De Paul University with a degree in English. John was enrolled in ARMY ROTC and upon graduation served in Karlsruhe, Germany. His orders were initially to Ft. Bliss, Texas, but he yearned to travel abroad and visit his relatives so he called the Pentagon directly and asked if his orders could be changed to anywhere in Europe. The request was granted, earning him the nickname "Pentagon John", and he traveled all over Europe taking stunning photographs that have been made into cards and calendars and now adorn his children's homes. After returning to the U.S. and working in Chicago for a brief time, John's spirit of adventure led him to embark on a transatlantic journey aboard the SS Cristoforo Colombo to Spain, where he earned a master's degree in Spanish through Middlebury College. In addition to his studies, he hosted a weekly radio program through the American Embassy called 'Charlas al viento' (Chats in the Wind) which were weekly half-hour conversations on topics of the day. It was at the American Embassy in Madrid where he met María del Carmen Luengo Santaló, the lovely Spanish señorita who would become his wife. They married in Madrid and honeymooned in El Escorial before settling in Danbury, Connecticut where John was hired as a professor of Spanish at what was then known as Danbury State Teachers College, and is now Western Connecticut State University. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in Spanish and Latin American Studies at Columbia University and taught at WCSU for 44 years. During his tenure, he was chairman of the Modern Languages Department for many years, and published a book on famous women in the military as well as translations of Spanish poetry. A member of the "Early Bird Club", he enjoyed swimming and playing tennis on campus with other faculty members.
John and his wife were blessed with seven children: Aileen, Patricia (son-in-law Martin Onorato), Maria (son-in-law James Mendenhall), John (daughter-in-law Bridget Donovan), Christopher (daughter-in-law Heather Roy), Sara (son-in-law Jeremy Lingenfelser), and James (daughter-in-law Helen Yearwood). He has thirteen grandchildren: Sylvia, Chloe, Christina Onorato; Jack, Ben, and Sydney Dever-Mendenhall; John Dever III; Emma Dever; Christopher and Mark Lingenfelser; and Margaret, Kathleen, and James Dever. He was predeceased by his brothers Peter and Michael, and his sister Barbara. A loving and devoted husband and father, John Dever also dedicated time to many civic pursuits including serving on the Human Rights Commission in Danbury, translating approximately 200 children's books for South Street School, working with the Latin American Parents Association to translate adoption documents for adoptions, serving on the Bethel Board of Education and on a state-wide board for the Special Olympics, and volunteering an interpreter for the Bethel Police Department. John also served in the US Army Reserve for twenty years, teaching at Ft. Bragg, Ft. Huachuca, and Ft. Bliss during the summers. He taught one summer, too, at Brigham Young University.
His extraordinary strength of character, kindness, generosity, and sense of humor charmed everyone who knew him. He was dedicated to his family, his teaching, and his community. He will always be dearly loved.
Lillis Funeral Home of New Milford has assisted private arrangements for the family. To post an online condolence, please visit: www.lillisfuneralhome.wordpress.com