Dr. Dwight E. Deal, 84, passed away on June 11, 2022, peacefully in his home in Parker, Colo. Dwight was a geologist, an educator, and a caver.

Born in New York, Dwight received a B.S. degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A move west captured his spirit and heart. Education in geology continued, completing his doctorate degree. Life in the Big Bend started in 1967 with a teaching position at Sul Ross State University. Dwight asserted that this region was the perfect environment to teach geology. During his years in Alpine, Texas, Dwight was a founding director of the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute.

Dwight and his wife Sandy started a family in Alpine, raising children Craig and Tara. The death of his wife was a major loss for Dwight who managed as a single parent with two young children. He took a job with IT Corporation and moved the family to New Mexico where he worked for 11 years.

A shift came in 1996 when he married Mary Fletcher in Denver, Colo. They worked together in various ways, including leading tours that blended cave and karst science with cultural and local history, reaching classic karst regions of China, Viet Nam, Slovenia, Croatia, and Cuba.

Dwight and Mary split time between their home in Colorado and their cabin in Terlingua, Texas. Dwight never lost his love for the Big Bend ,and spent as much time in West Texas as possible.

A Celebration of Life for Dwight will be held in the Terlingua Ghost Town on Monday, Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. with music and high spirits. A potluck supper will follow. Everyone welcomed..