Ewell Truett

The Life and Legacy of

Dean Truett

January 9, 1935 – October 4, 2025

Ewell Dean Truett—known to most simply as Dean or Hermano Dean—was born in the small farming town of Becton, Texas, to Ewell and Katie Truett on January 9, 1935. The youngest of eight children, with three brothers and four sisters, he grew up in the cotton fields of West Texas, where his siblings teasingly nicknamed him “Brains”—a playful jab at his fearless streak and the reckless abandon with which he tackled life.

A Life Spared for God’s Purpose

That fearless streak nearly cost him everything at age 19, when a motorcycle accident claimed his leg and the life of his good friend, who had accidentally struck Dean’s bike from behind while traveling at over 120 miles per hour. Dean survived against all odds—God had big plans for his life. He loved to say that his father used to shake his head and tell him he’d never live to be 25. In a recent conversation, Dean joked that his dad must be in heaven, still shaking his head, saying:

“Looks like Dean isn’t going to make it to heaven—if he was, he should have been here a looong time ago.”

Yet not only did Dean live far beyond that mark, he became the last surviving member of his family—preceded in death just a month earlier by his beloved sister Jean.

Dean often described the crash as his “wake-up call”— a second chance at life that could not be wasted. The loss of his friend and the gift of survival marked him deeply. From that moment forward, he resolved to live with purpose—to pour his courage into faith and to spend his days serving Christ and serving others. What might have ended his story instead became the turning point that defined it.

That turning point set the course for the rest of his life. It was not long after that Dean enrolled at Life Bible College in Los Angeles, where he met the love of his life, Carlene.

Two Hearts, One Purpose, A Lifetime of Love and Service

Together Dean and Carlene began a 69-year marriage of faith, partnership, and adventure. Their four children—Denny, Tim, Terry, and Darla—were born and raised abroad as the family served in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Puerto Rico.

Dean’s life overseas was never ordinary. He and Carlene lived through wars, revolutions, and more than a few hair-raising experiences that could rival an Indiana Jones tale. Through it all, he remained a true Texan at heart—gritty, good-humored, and fiercely devoted to the people around him. Tens of thousands across Latin America and beyond credit his ministry with transforming their lives.

Of all the countries they served, Honduras was dearest to Dean’s heart. He often said that he and his family were “the luckiest people on earth,” blessed with the kindest neighbors in the Colonia Humuya of Tegucigalpa and with church members who became like family for life.

Though ministry abroad brought its share of challenges, it was also exciting and deeply rewarding—and through it all, Dean never lost his sense of humor. It often surfaced at the most unexpected moments.

A Leg Up on the Competition

Dean loved to play pranks, but one of his greatest was completely unrehearsed. During a church camp softball game, his artificial leg suddenly flew off as he rounded the bases. The crowd gasped, many not even realizing he wore a prosthetic, while Dean simply hopped back, strapped it on, and kept running. The shock quickly turned to laughter—and admiration—as he carried on with his trademark Texas style of True Grit and Grin. It was a moment that showed how he met challenges: with grit, humor, and the determination to keep going.

That same blend of grit and humor carried him through countless adventures in Central America—some of them nearly unbelievable, but true.

The Pig, the Sharks, and the Fat Gringo

Life in Central America often brought the unexpected, and Dean faced it all with courage and his trademark humor. On one return trip across Lake Nicaragua—one of the only freshwater lakes in the world with bull sharks—Dean’s small motorized canoe quickly became a floating circus. What began as the skipper’s request to take “a few” extra passengers soon swelled to standing room only—shoulder to shoulder—plus one very fat, very restless pig. With only four inches to spare between the rim of the boat and the waterline, the engine sputtered and died halfway across. As the pig grew agitated and the boat rocked, sharks began to circle nearby. Dean turned to the skipper and asked with a grin, “Do you think the sharks are after the pig… or the fat gringo?”

Even surrounded by danger, Dean steadied others with the same blend of faith and humor that carried him through life.

But not every story ended in laughter. Some revealed Dean’s courage in moments of real danger.

The Soccer War and the Closet Diplomat

In 1969, during the brief but violent “Soccer War” between Honduras and El Salvador, the Truett family home in Tegucigalpa sat directly under the flight path of low-flying Salvadoran fighter planes bombing the Toncontín Airport in Honduras. As neighbors fired small arms at the invading planes overhead, a top Salvadoran diplomat—and personal friend of Dean’s—arrived at the Truett family home in the dark of night, fearing for his life. Unaware that his own country had launched the attack, the man begged for help. Dean hid him in the children’s closet for several days until he found the right moment to smuggle him out and drive him to the U.S. Embassy.

Years later, when they met again in El Salvador, the diplomat embraced Dean and thanked him for saving his life.

This story offers a glimpse of what defined him: courage under pressure, wisdom in crisis, and compassion for others when it mattered most.

And while Dean was no stranger to danger, what moved him most deeply was not the crises he faced, but the suffering he witnessed in others.

From Heartbreak to Hope

Dean’s heart broke the first time he saw small children living on the streets of Tegucigalpa—brothers caring for their baby sisters, scavenging through trash for scraps of food. He turned that heartbreak into action, founding an orphanage called Didasko, from the Greek word meaning “to instruct.” His vision was simple but profound: to give these children a safe home where they could grow up surrounded by love, learn the Word of God, and gain the knowledge they would need to become pillars of their churches and communities.

Today, Didasko continues to carry forward the vision Dean planted—a living testament to his compassion and faith—what once broke his heart became fuel for hope, transformed into a legacy of love that endures.

A Movement that Multiplied

But Dean’s impact did not stop with Didasko. His legacy was also written in the churches he planted and the network of congregations he helped nurture across Honduras. What began as a modest fellowship in Tegucigalpa grew into a thriving movement that touched tens of thousands of lives. Dean’s vision was never limited to one city—or even one nation. The seeds he planted in Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico equipped pastors, missionaries, and leaders to carry the gospel far beyond those borders. Today, that influence can be seen across Central America and around the globe—a testimony to a life lived with purpose and a ministry that lives on, continuing to multiply.

A Life Well Lived

These stories—whether comic, dangerous, or tender—all point to the same truth: Dean’s life was a tapestry of faith, courage, and love. He will be remembered not only for the extraordinary adventures he lived, but for the way he carried himself through every season of life—with faith that never wavered, a courage that lifted others, and a humor that turned even hardship into joy. To those who knew him, Dean was more than a missionary or an amazing storyteller; he was a husband, a father, a friend, and a neighbor whose True Grit and Grin left an imprint on everyone he met.

His siblings once nicknamed him “Brains” as a playful jab at his fearless streak and reckless abandon. But over time, that same fearlessness was refined into a boldness born of courage, guided by wisdom grounded in faith, and sustained by a heart overflowing with love for his family and for others. His life stood as a testimony that even through loss and danger, love and faith can carve out a legacy that endures across generations and borders.

Welcome Home

We can only imagine the scene that unfolded last Saturday when Dean arrived at the pearly gates. His parents and siblings must have been joyfully waiting, ready with the ultimate prank as payback for all the tricks he pulled and the grief he caused them as the little spoiled brat growing up on the farm: “Dean, there are two doors marked with an H—this one’s for Heaven and the saints… you picked the wrong one!” Their laughter, no doubt, was quickly drowned out by a majestic voice that said, “Welcome home, my good and faithful servant.”

The awesomeness of Dean’s crown in heaven will not be measured by the countless lives that were saved or miracles performed through his ministry, but by the steadfast way he fought the good fight, finished the arduous race, and kept the faith through every season of life.

A Smile from Heaven

We share this closing thought in the spirit of Dean’s humor and faith—because he would have wanted us to smile as we remember him.

Dean’s 90 years on earth defied every expectation—especially his father’s. Dean often joked that Texas was the place where good people go when they die. On Oct. 4, 2025, he found out it’s really just the second-best place to spend eternity—and yes, he would have found a way to tease our Oklahoma kin about it.

Much to Dean’s chagrin, his parents, Ewell and Katie Truett, and seven siblings beat him to the finish line—earning bragging rights to their crowns in heaven before he did.

Carrying on his legacy are his wife, Carlene; his children and their spouses, Denny and Brenda Truett of Ada, Oklahoma, Tim and Yani Truett of Midland, Texas, Terry and Debra Truett of Georgetown, Texas, and Darla and Ron Zeltman of Round Rock, Texas; along with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his greatest joy.

Dean’s influence endures not only in the churches, ministries, and orphanage he founded, but most of all in the lives of his family who continue to reflect his faith, values, and love. The seeds he planted continue to bear fruit across generations—a testimony that his life’s work lives on through those he loved and mentored.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7