Obituary
Darrell "Dean" Shelley was born in Sidney, Nebraska, on January 13, 1943 to parents Everett and Leona Shelley. He joined the Navy on August 1, 1960, and was honorably discharged in January 1964. After his service, Dean settled in Portland, Oregon, where he began working for Arcoa, the precursor to U-Haul. It was there that he met his wife, Mertis Sheldon. They married on September 24, 1966, in McMinnville, Oregon.
In 1985, Dean and Mertis moved to Gresham, Oregon, and later to Oregon City in 2002. He worked for North Pacific Lumber in the printing department before starting his own contracting business. Dean retired as a janitor for the David Douglas School District in 2016, completing nine years of dedicated service.
Dean was a man of many talents and interests. He loved building and tinkering, always seeking ways to make things more efficient. One of his proudest achievements was constructing his own barn.
He is survived by his wife, Mertis; daughter, Darcy Powers (Loren Powers); son, Clint Shelley (Nell Oram); siblings - Jim, Judy, Linda, Jean “ReRe”, and Pat; grandchildren - Ashley (Cody), Cassie (Mark), Jackson, AnnaBella, and Evelyn; and great-grandchildren-Chloe, Penny, Alice, and one on the way.