Dean's Memory Trip

In the early days of the sloop Priority I, Dean did most of his sailing “down Island,” the term used for the Windward Islands of Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent.  The culture of those islands breeds “boat boys,” young kids who call out to your boat as you enter a harbor, “Hey Skipper!” or “Hey Skip!”, always knowing the person in charge. That’s when, in the mid-seventies, Dean was affectionately nicknamed “The Skipper” by many of his relatives and friends.   There was never any question that Dean was always the Captain, always in charge.  

The Skip loved the British Virgin Islands, and he would sail to Anegada, one of the most beautiful places in the world, as often as possible. 

Dean went for lobster dinner one evening at the Big Bamboo Restaurant on the beach at Loblolly Bay and introduced himself to the young owner, Aubrey Levons. 

Unfortunately, Dean left his sunglasses at the restaurant. It wasn’t until the next day when sailing back to the main Island of Tortola that Dean realized what had happened.

 One year later!   The Skip was walking on the Beach at Loblolly when Aubrey ran up to him and, while handing Dean his sunglasses said, “You forgot your shades, Mon.”  

30 Years Later!  Last November, during a visit I made to the same restaurant, Aubrey came up to me and asked how Dean was.  

We all know the amazing effect that Dean had on all of us.  But the reality is that Dean had that effect on everyone he met, even if that meeting only lasted a few minutes. 

For example, in 1966, Dean was looking for an appropriate building for the first Pepper branch in Atlanta, and had some difficulty finding one.  On his way to the Airport to return home he just happened to turn down a rural street where several light industrial buildings were being built.  He met the owner of one, Charlie Smith, and with a handshake leased half of Charlie’s building.  Pepper stayed in that building for 35 years.  

In 1968, he was looking for a building for a new Pepper branch office in Detroit.  The company was stretched pretty thin in those days.  He met with this rather “pompous” real estate agent, who said, “Dean, I assume we are talking about a triple-A rated company.”  Dean’s response was, “Well, I would more likely categorize us as Quadruple Z, actually.”  We signed a lease on that visit. 

In the early 70’s the Pepper company was located on 3rd Street in Philadelphia at the foot of the Ben Franklin Bridge.  The Pepper credit manager was robbed one night after work on the way to her car.  The next morning Dean announced that Pepper was moving as soon as possible out of the city.  While the Balance Sheet certainly did not support it, the skip negotiated for the rental of a brand new building to be constructed to Pepper's  unique specifications, and a year later was successfully relocated to Valley Forge. 

Using his unique personality, 10 years later he had successfully negotiated with the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority for the financing of even a larger building in Paoli. 

Skip loved quotes and often used them as teaching tools. “No good end comes from bad means,” he would say, or “you must take a situation from where it is, not where you want it to be.”  One of his favorites when dealing with management issues was “you cannot have responsibility without the authority.”  But his best was,  “A friend is someone that knows everything about you there is to know, and is still your friend.”   

Dean cared passionately about the music business and unselfishly helped develop the industry.  He served as President of the Music Industry Council, a division of the Music Educators National Conference, and President of the Music Publishers’ Association of the United States.  In June of 2010 MPA  conferred on him their “Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition of his contribution to the music industry.  

Dean Burtch:  Skipper, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Business Executive, Entrepreneur, and Friend.  By the luck of the draw he met up with a demon called Parkinson’s, and the last few years of his life were not easy.

Dean will live on in everyone that he touched in so many ways. Everyone that knew him are just a little bit better because of it. Those of us that were close to him are a great deal better.

Dean specified in his will that upon his death he be cremated and his ashes spread across the waters of the British Virgin Islands. On Friday, May 6th, 2011 Confetti left Ft. Lauderdale, FL en route to the British Virgin Islands with Dean's ashes aboard.  

A ceremony in the BVI for family and invited guests coincided with his birthday on June 30, 2011.  Dean would have been 83.