Dean Harold McLeod, 84, of Belle Plaine passed away on April 1, 2015, surrounded by his family, in the Extended Care Unit at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids. Funeral services were held on Monday, April 6 at the First Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine with the Rev. Dean Duncan officiating. Burial was at Oak Hill Cemetery with Military Rites by the American Legion of Belle Plaine, Post #39 and the Iowa Honor Guard. Dean was born January 13, 1931 at home in rural Elberon to Eugene and Hazel (Beck) McLeod. He graduated from Belle Plaine High School in 1949 and was married to Eleanor Jean Chekal on June 17, 1951 at the First Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine. He lived his entire life in the Belle Plaine area. Dean worked at the Marengo Dairy from 1949 - 1952 when he was drafted by the army as a radio operator in the Korean War, serving from 1952-1954. He then worked for the Belle Plaine Dairy and the Borden's Company. He was a semi-truck driver for several different companies before buying his own trucking business in 1972 and contracted to Funks Seed Company, and later Ciba Geigy, retiring in 1993. He then helped out at the Belle Plaine Co-op and worked for the Kasal brothers. Dean was a member of the First Lutheran Church, the Belle Plaine Legion, and the Belle Plaine Historical Society. He took pride in his home and lawn, and was ready with a helping hand when needed. He volunteered at the Belle Plaine Community Center for many years, and he loved his family deeply. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Eleanor; son Mike McLeod of Durant, Iowa; daughter, Cindy (Steve) Hemm of Sheffield, Iowa; two grandchildren, Chad McLeod and Sheri Thomas; four great-grandchildren, Tony Werner, Gracie Thomas, Drake and Damian McLeod; two sisters-in-law, Elma McLeod and Dorothy Kalina; and several nieces and nephews. Dean was preceded in death by his parents; his father and mother-in-law Louis and Hilda Chekal; his brother Howard McLeod; and brother-in-law Albert Kalina.