Dean Michael Carstensen , 54, from Burlington, passed away on January 07, 2023. Dean was born in Hamilton, New Zealand on September 26, 1968. He emigrated from NZ when he was 7 years old and spent nine years in St. John, New Brunswick Canada. In 1985 he moved to South Burlington Vermont, graduated from South Burlington High School, and attended the University of Vermont.
As a young adult, Dean was an avid hockey fan and lover of music. He amassed a huge collection of 80’s music, (meticulously labeled CD’s), became a frequent face at area pool halls, and developed an interest in computers. He enjoyed building desktops and was the first person to call if there was a computer issue. His computer hobby developed into a career path.
Dean was employed as a computer technician at several companies, including Merchant’s Bank, Chittenden Bank, ReSource on Pine Street, and the Fletcher Free Library. In the last few years of his life he chose to work independently from home, having developed a skill for diagnosis and repair of computer systems. Being home also provided Dean the ability to pursue a secondary interest, breeding rare tropical fish. Wherever he lived, there was sure to be lots of computer parts and fish tanks.
Dean was a brilliant man whose life turned out very different than intended. Dean was a man of few words who managed to keep his family close to him in his own way. He held on to just about every photo, newspaper clipping, card, award /memorabilia.
Dean is survived by his three children of whom he was so proud, Shane, Nicholas and Autumn, his dearly loved grandson Silas Breault Carstensen, his mother, Lorraine Gordon Willett and her husband Mark Willett, his father, Bendt Carstensen, his brother and sister in law, Allen and Karyn Carstensen, his sister and brother-in-law, Meg and Tim Gauvin, his step-sister and step-brother-in-law Beth and Don Fitzpatrick, and many nieces, nephews and extended family in Canada and New Zealand, including Peter and Andrea Cooper, and John and Miepy Carstensen.
He is predeceased by his grandparents Sidney and Mary Cooper, and Gunnar and Greta Carstensen.
A private remembrance of his life will be held in the spring.