He was a Progressive Conservative member in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1987 and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller.
Dean was born in Fruitland, Ontario and educated at McMaster University in Hamilton where he received his Masters of Science degree.
[5] Dean was re-elected by an increased margin in the 1985 provincial election, which saw the Progressive Conservatives reduced to a fragile minority government.
He served on the Board of Directors of St. Joseph's Healthcare and the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario.
He remained an active member of the Progressive Conservative Party, the McMaster Alumni Association, and the United Church of Canada until his death.