Dean Birzele, DVM

Frederick Dean Birzele, DVM, 82, of Elkhart, IN passed away peacefully the morning of April 29, 2025. He was born May 17, 1942, in Hillsboro, IL. Dean was the beloved son of Frederick Birzele and Bertha (Birzele) Williams and stepson to Earl Williams. He graduated in 1960 from Hillsboro High School and went on to the University of Illinois where he earned a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1967.

While at the University of Illinois he met his wife of 58 years Margaret “Peggy” (Boothby). They married April 1, 1967 and upon graduation moved to Elkhart where he joined the staff at the Fishler Animal Hospital. In 1973 he opened the Animal Care Clinic North where he practiced until his retirement in 2015. In 2016 he was given the Meritorious Service Award by the Elkhart Police Department for 40 years of caring for the Canine Unit.

As with his devotion and dedication to his practice, he was equally involved with his hobbies. He was a voracious reader, a skilled woodworker, a lover of opera and classical music. He was an active volunteer at the Midwest Museum of American Art where he received the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2018. He relished his time fishing the local rivers and lakes with his fishing buddies. He enjoyed fine wine, dining out and spirited conversations with friends at the local Lucchese’s Italian Restaurant every Friday night. He also remained a loyal and diehard Cubs fan.

Dean lived a life marked by kindness, a sense of humor, selflessness and quiet strength. He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.

He is survived by his wife, Peggy, daughter Angie and Phil Williams and their daughters Meagan and Ellie, son Jeff and Mindy Birzele and their daughter Madeline and son Drew.

The family would like to acknowledge the staff at Greenleaf Health Center for their compassionate care.

Visitation for Dean will be held from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at Hartzler-Gutermuth-Inman Funeral Home, 403 W Franklin St, Elkhart, IN 46516. A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 1331 N Main St, Elkhart, IN 46514. Dean will be laid to rest at Rice Cemetery in Elkhart.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Midwest Museum of American Art, 429 S Main Street, Elkhart, IN 46516, www.midwestmuseum.org

and to the Humane Society of Elkhart County, 54687 County Road 19, Bristol, IN 46507, www.elkharthumanesociety.org

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