Dean B. Austad

Dean Austad, 86, of Sioux Falls, SD, passed away on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at the Good Samaritan Society in Canton, SD. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, December 19, 2025, at St. Lambert Catholic Church in Sioux Falls. Burial will be held at Hills of Rest Cemetery in Sioux Falls. Visitation with the family present will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., followed by a Liturgical Wake Service at 7:00 p.m., on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory in Sioux Falls.

Dean Braden Austad was born on October 16, 1939, in Arlington, SD. He was the oldest of five children born to Melvin and Opal (Haufschild) Austad. Dean grew up on farms around Oldham, SD. He graduated from Oldham High School in 1959, Dakota State University, with a major in Mathematics and Physics, in 1963, and earned a Master’s Degree in Mathematics from USD in Vermillion in 1969.

Dean married his college sweetheart, Cheryl Fokken, on August 5, 1961, in Hartford, SD. They were married for 64 years. Dean’s 37-year teaching career was spent in the Sioux Falls Public School System, teaching mathematics at Whittier Junior High School and Washington High School. He retired from teaching in 2000.

As the owner of AUSTAD HOMES, INC. for 37 years, Dean developed a successful part-time home building business in and around Sioux Falls. He built over 100 new homes and completed over 75 remodeling projects. Dean also developed a successful Rental Business in Sioux Falls.

Dean enjoyed many things, which included supporting his children in their activities, hunting, fishing, and skiing, snowmobiling in the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming; accepting the honor of being inducted into the SD Snowmobile Hall of Fame for his dedication to helping establish the SD Snowmobile Association; collecting Cub International tractors, which led him to competitive plowing for which he won 1st place in the SD Novice Division in 2012; owning and driving Model A’s and a Model T; and traveling to Europe and much of the United States.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Cheryl, and son, Brett Austad; sister, Darla (Jon) Folsland; brother-in-law, Darold Otten; and many nieces and nephews.

Dean was preceded in death by his parents; two daughters, Patrece and Kollette Austad; brother, Gene Austad and his wife, Joan; and sisters, Debbie Otten and DeAnn Helm.