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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nChristie Lorene (Lake) Dean, 69, of Winter Haven, Florida, passed away peacefully on December 6th, surrounded by her loving family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born on December 13th in Niantic, Illinois, Christie was the cherished daughter of Charles Lake and Bonnie Lake (Warnick). She graduated from Niantic High School in 1974, carrying out the values of her small-town upbringing throughout her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On December 19th, 1974, Christie married her devoted husband, Dan Dean, in Niantic, Illinois. They spent 51 years together in devoted partnership and friendship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christie\u2019s greatest joy was her family. She was a loving mother to Curtis (and his wife, Amy) and Cyndi (and her significant other, Chester), and a proud grandmother to Zachary, Ella, Natalie, Benjamin, Kyle, and Hadley. She is also survived by her brother, Darrel, and nieces and nephews\u2014Tricia, Debbie, Stephanie, Matt, Philip, and Cori\u2014each of whom felt the warmth of her encouragement and the strength of her example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christie especially loved reading and quilting. Her handmade quilts became treasured family heirlooms, each one stitched with care and love. She was a faithful member of Heartland Church, active in the Young at Heart small group, and a joyful volunteer in the coffee shop, where she greeted everyone with a smile and a kind word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christie had a remarkable gift for making friends wherever she went. Her big heart, infectious laughter, and ability to connect with others left a lasting impression on all who knew her. She never took herself too seriously and always found ways to bring joy and comfort to those around her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Bonnie Lake, and her brothers, Clark and Steve. Her family finds comfort in knowing she is reunited with them, her gentle legacy living on in the lives she touched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A celebration of Christie\u2019s life will be held at Heartland Church on January 10th at 11:00 a.m. in Winter Haven, FL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Youth for Christ, honoring Christie\u2019s love for young people and her desire to see them thrive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Christie Dean December 13th, 1955 – December 6th, 2025 Christie Lorene (Lake) Dean, 69, of Winter Haven, Florida, passed away peacefully on December 6th, surrounded by her loving family. Born on December 13th in Niantic, Illinois, Christie was the cherished daughter of Charles Lake and Bonnie Lake (Warnick). She graduated from Niantic High School in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":80244,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[24,28,983,23,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-80245","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-obits","8":"tag-in-loving-memory","9":"tag-oak-ridge-funeral-care","10":"tag-obit","11":"tag-obituary","12":"tag-winter-haven"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winterhavendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_6573-1.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1","aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t