(Topic ID: 327407)

Thank you Dean Grover.

By Caucasian2Step

1 year ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

You

Topic Gallery

View topic image gallery

Dean2 (resized).jpg
Dean1 (resized).jpg
pinbrawl11 (resized).JPG
pinbrawl2 (resized).JPG
LCP 2017 (resized).jpg
LCP 2010 (resized).jpg
LCP 2006 (resized).jpg

59
#1 1 year ago

Dean Grover passed away after a long series of battles with health issues. He's survived by his wife Sam, son (Ryan) and daughter (Amanda).

He was known for his work for Bally and Williams in the early to mid-90s before moving on to another career. More recently, he coded for Stern both on the operating systems level programming and on game rules. The Beatles in particular was his ruleset and code. I was fortunate enough to talk to him about his craft in detail for the Little Kings pinball podcast a number of years ago.

Dean was also a excellent competitive player. His nickname was "The Reaper" and with good reason. If you came up against him in the tournament, there was a good chance that you were dead.

Dean also shared quite a bit for the Corado pinball community. Without his generous contributions of many his own games from his personal pinball collection, the Rocky mountain pinball show may not have had nearly as many games on the floor. The annual Grover July 4th summer parties were also something to look forward to as he opened up his collection at his own home as well as the grill in the back yard for as many hot dogs and burgers as you could stand to stand to eat.

My own personal favorite story with him was the time at the Rocky mountain pinball showdown that I was paired with Keith Elwin. I didn't play badly, but Keith played like the champion he is. In the finals we faced Dean and his paired teammate. I've never seen anyone take apart a Bally xenon like that before. I had the best player in the world on my team and I still lost to Dean Grover.

Thank you Dean. The pinball world is better for what you did for all of us.

-c2s

#2 1 year ago

In my limited dealings with him, I found him to be a true gentleman. Condolences to his family.

14
#3 1 year ago

Loved him and loved working with him. I got to do sound design on 3 games with Dean.

We made Supreme together in early 2018. I went to Denver when we were finishing it up and we set up an office in his daughter's bedroom to do the final polish. Had some good laughs that day.

Then, came the big one.....The Beatles! George let us run with it and we had several Taco Bell fueled late nights making that game. Dean and his wife wrote most of the script and Dean had some great rules to go with George's playfield. Dean and I both bought a Beatles Gold because we loved the game and were proud of it. I will think of him whenever I play it.

Dean and I also worked together on the Star Wars home game and he made that a blast to play. He made great games but he was an even greater guy. He will be missed.

#4 1 year ago

Sorry to hear of his passing. Prayers go out to the family and his friends.

#5 1 year ago

R.I.P Dean

#6 1 year ago

Thanks Dean. RIP.

#7 1 year ago

Sad and surprising to hear this. I recall playing in a tournament with him many years ago.

His coding on Beatles made the game perfectly balanced and so great to play. His legacy will live on.

21
#8 1 year ago

This is sad. From my dealing with dean he was just a great guy. I remember early on in my pinball career that i desperatly needed a addams family topper for a game i was restoring for myself. this was back when you couldnt find them. He emailed me, asked if it was for a personal game or if i was selling since i was a retailer primarily video games at that time. I told him it was my personal. He then asked my shipping info. a few days later, a TAF topper was at my door. I emailed back saying that i got a topper and never paid him anything for it, and he said enjoy the game, no charge. This was my first experience with him, what a guy. He will be missed

#9 1 year ago

Thanks everyone for the stories and rembrance. This hobby is 100% the sum contributions of so many talented individuals. Though I didn't know Dean, I do enjoy learning about him and the many others behind these marvelous games. What a nice rembrance to know how many you touched in this community. Thank you, so very much.

#10 1 year ago

Low key, generous with his time. Amazing to talk with. RIP Dean.

#11 1 year ago

Very sad news, I had recently gotten the chance to get to know him better and buy a game from him. Great guy and it was a pleasure to talk to you about the hobby. I wouldn’t normally say this, but thank you dean for letting me play your whitewood James Bond premium a couple months ago that you were working on. It was a real memorable experience for me and to talk to you about your software experience of the games you worked on over the years. Much love to all your family and friends.

#12 1 year ago

Dean was definitely among one of the more quiet and unsung in the industry, but he was one of the best people. I never directly worked with him, but met him at various shows and tourneys from back in the old RGP days (before either of us were in the industry). He was always good for a friendly chat whenever I ran into him over the past 25-30 years. I'll miss him and his contributions.

#13 1 year ago

That’s so sad, I recently bought some games from him and was messaging with him at the beginning of December on another game. I wish I would have gave him a call.
Another great guy gone.

13
#14 1 year ago

I too have known Dean for decades.

Keith and others are correct. He was quiet, intelligent, fun, and he was very much among the unsung. I worked with him on Turtles and Mandalorian. I was excited to work with him again soon.

Dean was really nice but too quiet. In team meetings I can be loud and, um, passionate. I would have to explicitly ask Dean to speak up and if I said something wrong to please call me out. When pressed he would do so and it was always great. His input would make the game better.

Dean will be missed.

16
#15 1 year ago

As the original owner of Lyons Classic Pinball I was thrilled that Dean , Sam , Amanda and Ryan were early and long time supporters. I was always thrilled to point him out to local pinheads who did not know him and I think he secretly enjoyed those little recognition moments. The party's that Kevin mentioned were given by Sam and Dean and everyone in the pinball community was invited. On the long drive out to Strousberg Co I would always think how dedicated they were to drive all that way every week just to come to LCP. I was just talking to him a few weeks ago about Beatles code and he was excited to tell me the latest code added the ability to play original Sea Witch rules by pressing flipper buttons before you start the game. Lesson from Dean "have fun right up till the end".
Our thoughts go out to Sam, Amanda ,Ryan and the rest of there family. Play some pin and think of a great guy today!
We will miss you Dean

#16 1 year ago

Condolences to his family. Dean was a great guy, he and Sam welcomed me to his New Years Day parties. Will miss him.

#17 1 year ago

I’m sorry to hear about the loss.

#18 1 year ago

From a co-worker at Stern:

"Dean was the lead on Beatles, Supreme, Star Wars Home Edition, Spiderman Home Edition. Dean helped on many other titles through the year, as was working on James Bond until his recent illness. He will be greatly missed at Stern, many of us worked with him and have known his from the early 90s."

#19 1 year ago

You made the world a better place. Happy trails, Dean.

#20 1 year ago
Quoted from jtaudio:

Loved him and loved working with him. I got to do sound design on 3 games with Dean.
We made Supreme together in early 2018. I went to Denver when we were finishing it up and we set up an office in his daughter's bedroom to do the final polish. Had some good laughs that day.
Then, came the big one.....The Beatles! George let us run with it and we had several Taco Bell fueled late nights making that game. Dean and his wife wrote most of the script and Dean had some great rules to go with George's playfield. Dean and I both bought a Beatles Gold because we loved the game and were proud of it. I will think of him whenever I play it.
Dean and I also worked together on the Star Wars home game and he made that a blast to play. He made great games but he was an even greater guy. He will be missed.

You guys did some fantastic work on Beatles. It’s one of my favorites. So sad to hear about Dean. I’ll think of him whenever I play his games.

29
#21 1 year ago

I'm incredibly sad that my friend Dean is gone. I got to visit him and Sam last week to say goodbye and it was heartbreaking. It has been an absolute pleasure and blessing, though, to have had Dean with us these past 13+ years after his near-fatal heart attack in 2009 (An EB or two on life, if you will). I never worked with Dean, but I competed with him and against him regularly. A lot, lol. He was already an awesome tournament player when I met him at Lyons Classic Pinball back in 2004. He would drive 90+ minutes *each way* every week to play in our very first season of the Mile High Pinball League that year and he and his family continued to play regularly in our league up until just a few weeks ago in Season 35. He was always so very nice and happy and mellow when he played that DNO and I coined his nickname, “The Grim Reaper”, as an ironic homage to his sunny disposition. It *stuck*, like all good nicknames do, and Dean was proudly “The Reaper” from that moment on; he even had a jersey made with “REAPER” on the back, lol. Back in the day, the big three were PAPA, Expo, and Cali Extreme (and later, Pinburgh) and Dean would play in all of these tournaments with us. He was a regular member of our Colorado Crew™ that travelled back then, along with DNO, and Mateo and K-Mac, and Ffej, and Trailer Tom, and Zen, and Higgins et al. Truly, some of the very best memories in my life were at these tournaments. Dean made the “A” finals of the very first new Pinburgh in 2011 and would go on to attend *all* 9 modern Pinbughs with us; making the “B” finals in 2013, 2015, and 2018. At the PAPA World Championships, he made the cut for finals in the “B” Division at PAPA 13, PAPA 14, PAPA 16, PAPA 19 and PAPA 20. We all spent so much time together at these PAPAs, trying to help each other figure out the games and how best to put together a winning ticket. Dean’s rule knowledge was vast and indispensable. Dean won the Classics Grand Championships in 2013 at Cali Extreme (which reminds me that Dean was also an excellent classic video game player, too. He could complete all the Tempest levels, which blew me away). At Expo, Dean was an original member of the “Colorado Silverball Gang” along with DNO, Mateo, and Ffej, who competed against the best teams in the old KOZ/Josh Pinbrawls. The following year, Dean played on my Pinbrawl team, “Very skilled for a child” with then four year old Escher; we finished 2nd in the “B” Division. Dean is the only player in MHPL league history to win both the “A” Division and “B” Division championships (the latter coming during his recovery from his massive heart attack back in 2009 as he worked his way back into shape). Dean won the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown once and 11 monthlies at Lyons Classic Pinball ranging from 2006 thru 2018. According to the IFPA, Dean and I played against one another in *244 different* pinball tournaments!! I knew we played together A LOT, but that number was still surprising when I looked it up. Beyond the tournaments, Dean was a huge contributor to the Colorado pinball scene – he brought a ton of games each year to the RMPS show and when Denver hosted the IFPA 11 World Championships, he brought a bunch of games to that, too, and donated a TON of time to help with the setup/breakdown and organization of that hugely successful event. When I ran some tournaments in my barn a few years ago, he brought his spider-man home pin that he was working on for Stern, so that everyone could try it out. He always kept The Beatles at LCP loaded with his latest code he was working on long before it was officially released and as Kevin mentioned above, his 4th of July parties (and later New Years’) were epic when he and Sam graciously opened their home to our always-growing pinball community. It sounds like a cliché, but he really was the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet and be friends with. I’m sad AF that he’s gone, but I know that I will never ever forget him. He loved the things that we all love here and he put his heart and soul into creating some of my favorite games. I will always think fondly of Dean whenever I play Congo, and Roadshow, and Safecracker and The Beatles, and the Star Wars homepin, and Godzilla, and 007 and so many others that he helped with. By the way, when you put your initials into Roadshow for a high score as “ADG”, you will hear Red say in a callout: “Not that guy again”, and every time I hear those words now, I will have a smile on my face and a tear in my eye as I remember my wonderful friend. Rest in Peace, Reaper!

Dean1 (resized).jpgDean1 (resized).jpgDean2 (resized).jpgDean2 (resized).jpgLCP 2006 (resized).jpgLCP 2006 (resized).jpgLCP 2010 (resized).jpgLCP 2010 (resized).jpgLCP 2017 (resized).jpgLCP 2017 (resized).jpgpinbrawl11 (resized).JPGpinbrawl11 (resized).JPGpinbrawl2 (resized).JPGpinbrawl2 (resized).JPG
#22 1 year ago

Dean was such a positive influence in the Colorado tournament scene. I always enjoyed matching up against him. He was never afraid to give you some tips before your turn and had some great stories to tell. He was gracious in defeat and even more gracious in victory.

He left his mark......I hope his family knows that!!!!

#23 1 year ago

Was an Honor to know you Dean. You had a great impact on everyone you had contact with. You will be missed... God rest your soul in peace.

Thank You!

#24 1 year ago
Quoted from Spelunk71:

You guys did some fantastic work on Beatles. It’s one of my favorites. So sad to hear about Dean. I’ll think of him whenever I play his games.

I concur with this. The Beatles is one of the best of the modern games....I can't thank you guys enough. I recently talked to Chris at Expo and told him how much the game means to me. The rule set is great, but with the callouts and script - it actually "got" The Beatles humor and mannerisms into it perfectly.

When I first got the HELP multiball and the picture of the album cover came up - I nearly lost it. It was the first album my father bought me back in 1976 when I was 6 years old.

I never met Dean but will think of him going forward - and all the team. Thanks again.

#25 1 year ago

Dammit. I had already chalked up 2022 as my worst year in memory before I lost 2 friends a couple months ago, one to health, and one to accident, so this is not hitting me well either. I just saw Dean at league last month and I could tell his health was declining more rapidly than it should, and now I know why.

I first met Dean in 2014 when I moved back to Colorado, the obvious icebreaker was chatting with him about my first pinball machine, Road Show, which Dean had a hand in developing, and I loved seeing his beautiful prototype game. Dean was a software engineer, like me, so we would talk shop, so I loved it when Stern brought him back into pinball, and his enthusiasm was contagious. I still remember the time he talked about building an office in his basement *with a door* simply because his cat would bother him while he was trying to work, demanding for attention and walking on his keyboard as any loving cat does. I knew exactly what he was talking about, having cats myself.

Dean was always a joy to play with in league on the rare occasion I did play in his group (because he was levels above me). He was a joy to talk to, a wealth of information, and "The Reaper" was no joke... he might blow a game, but by the end of the night it was certain there were 2-3 games he'd go on a tear, making it clear we were just a bump in his road to bubble right back up to the top group where he belonged. Dean will be missed by me and everyone around these parts.

#26 1 year ago

Adam-Lefkoff that was an amazing tribute.

I want to say thank you Dean for bringing all those games in the early years of RMPS at the Jeffco fairgrounds. At that time it was really hard to find games on location and I think I have never played a Safecracker besides yours Dean.

I also want to thank you for the tips in league even when we were against each other. You did this in my first league ever and the last league we played together last spring.

And finally the stories you told about what was really going on in the pinball world how you could not work from home at Williams and how it was at Stern.

Pinball is better because of you

Thanks Dean

#27 1 year ago

I can't remember the last time I logged into this page, but here's a good reason to. We've lost another great pinball soul. I've known Dean since the early 90's. Actually, Dean and Donovan were the only pinball players I knew from Colorado by the time I moved out there in 2006.

ALWAYS an incredible person. Always a gentleman whether you were playing with him or just hanging out. I will truly miss seeing him around. A great person with an incredible family. I wish Sam and family the best. Hug your pinball family, you never know when you're seeing someone for the last time. Thanks for being my friend Dean.

#29 1 year ago

God bless his family.

1 month later
#30 1 year ago

Pretty sure I just saw a tribute from Stern to Dean in the attract screen videos after the last Godzilla update. Can anyone else confirm?

#31 1 year ago

Yep. Elwin said on the last loser kid podcast they were adding a tribute to Dean as Dean coded several modes in the game.

1 month later
#32 11 months ago
Quoted from Apex:

Pretty sure I just saw a tribute from Stern to Dean in the attract screen videos after the last Godzilla update. Can anyone else confirm?

Its on Rush also.

#33 11 months ago
Quoted from 5280wzrd:

Its on Rush also.

Yep he's the Bonus Champion...tribute to his bonus post+heart transplant years I believe.

#34 11 months ago

I miss Dean. You never know when that last time you see someone will be. Make sure everyone knows how much they mean to you.

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/thank-you-dean and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.