This is becoming familiar now because we have another couple that has been lifelong local residents. Dean and Sheila Scott both grew up and lived in Oakland, California. Both graduated from Oakland High. Dean lived only a block away from the school so

he had no real need for a car. When he did drive he was able to use his dad’s ’56 Cadillac so that was cool; then his father bought a ’62 Chrysler 300 and that also served him well.

It wasn’t until 6 months before graduating from Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo that he bought his first car, a new ’66 Chevrolet Caprice Classic. Things were happening rapidly because 2 months before graduation he and Sheila were married. That is not surprising when you consider that Dean has been a fast track kind of guy. He completed the 4-year Mechanical Engineering program in 3 years. Upon graduation he accepted a material stress analysis job with Boeing and they moved to Seattle. He and Sheila acquired an Austin Healey and proceeded to tour around the Pacific Northwest, seeing more of the country than most natives.

He had been with Boeing for 4 years and it is now 1970. Boeing was into one of their contraction cycles and reduced the work force by nearly a hundred thousand. Even though he was a survivor Dean had had enough, quitting Boeing and Seattle. This would be a year of many changes. His son was born and his father sold the business he had founded. Dean had grown up with the business and he was very familiar with the operation, even helping his Dad develop some of the unique and patented machinery needed to form metal tapered poles for traffic signals and street lighting. They also invented machinery for forming very large transmission towers.

Upon leaving Boeing, Dean went to work for the Ameron Company, the purchasers of his father’s business. As you travel North on 880, past the Oakland Coliseum, you may have noticed the building on the left with the name on the roof. His father had retained ownership of the property and so with his father’s death in 1986, Dean became the landlord, and finally in 1990, at age 45 he retired after 20 years with the company.

He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do with his life and looked around for something that interested him. While Dean always had the mechanical aptitude he never really worked around cars. He had acquired a ’39 Lincoln Zepher Sedan and decided to do a restoration. Ironically, out of all the cars in his extensive collection that is one that has not progressed far beyond the initial start.  He now has become an expert on the cars that he owns. He has performed restorations on his own cars, and for others that have been show winners the first time they were entered.

Talking with Dean it becomes very clear that he is a perfectionist and thoroughly researches the details for restoring a car to its original build configuration. It is no wonder that his involvement with the Classic Car Club has become so encompassing; he is a past director and is currently a board member. This club has very definite rules about what qualifies as a Classic Car. They have to be cars built between 1928 and 1948, and then they have to be rare models that were built in small numbers for up market owners.

A visit to Dean and Sheila’s house in Alamo, is a treat for anyone interested in seeing collector cars in either the restoration process or final pristine condition. He has been able to utilize the major part of his property for garage and shop space capable of containing his car activities. Many of our long time members have had the opportunity to visit in years past. Dean and Sheila were introduced to CHVA by Bob and Carol Coates and have been members since 1992.

They have 2 children. After their son Corrie, a daughter, Pamela, was born in 1972; she is married with 3 children. Fortunately they live nearby in Oakley. Their son is single, has his own software business, and lives in Sausalito. Dean and Sheila share a lot of time with the grandkids and have become true second parents for them.

Sheila knew of Dean at Oakland High, but didn’t date him until they were attending Cal Poly. She has had a career as a Respiratory Therapist working at Children Hospital Oakland, and now has plans to retire next year. They haven’t had a chance to do any traveling so the idea is to see the USA first with a motor home. After that they will visit friends in Switzerland and Australia. Those who remember Sheila’s huge orchid collection of some years back will be disappointed to learn that it is all gone.  The orchid hobby requires a continual attention to details so when the grandchildren were born, the orchids took second place, and were lost. She had over a 1200 plants with nearly every orchid type represented. Orchids were her passion then, now her hobby is machine embroidery.

Dean says he likes to drive his cars so he is partial to events with some driving distance. Look for them on the longer tours.

Published in AAN March-April, 2006