TEA was saddened to learn of the passing of Dean Sharits on 17 December 2023.
Dean was born on 6 February 1944 to Loran and June (Timmerman) Sharits in Mankato, Minnesota. Growing up he lived in Fairmont, North Mankato and Mankato, MN. Later he resided in San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Miami Beach, Panama and Tega Cay, South Carolina, eventually retiring in Saint Augustine, Florida. Dean attended Mankato High School and then enlisted in the Navy, where he attained the rank of Petty Officer second class. He was stationed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, homeported in San Diego and deployed twice during the Vietnam era. Honorably discharged in 1965, he returned to Mankato and was employed by Continental Can Company. After recovering from a serious motorcycle accident, Dean moved to Los Angeles and again worked for Continental where he became a journeyman machinist. Dean entered the entertainment industry as a planning engineer for Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. While there he attended night classes and earned an AA degree in Engineering. He then pursued his education full time, earning a BS in Business Administration from California State University and an MBA from Minnesota State University, Mankato. For the next 25 years he had a lucrative career in both the themed entertainment industry and the movie business. He held executive positions at Disney, Universal Studios, Apogee Productions, Landmark Entertainment Group, and Paramount Parks. He eventually formed his own company, SHAZAM Company LLC, and for the final 10 years before he retired in 2010 he was a consultant and executive producer for a myriad of clients in the entertainment business. Thea Awards Six projects produced under Dean's leadership received Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement and Excellence in themed entertainment, including:
A Firm Supporter of TEA and its Mission Monty Lunde, Founder/CEO, Technifex shares some thoughts on his peer and friend, and Dean's involvement in the creation of TEA. "I have known Dean Sharits since I was an employee at WED (Walt Disney) in the early 1980’s. By the end of the 1980’s Dean was a very close personal and professional friend. "In 1991, Dean was actively supportive of my notion to form an association that represented the companies working in our part of the entertainment industry. "On 10 October 1991, I hosted a meeting at the Burbank Hilton for anyone interested in supporting the formation of an association. There were 28 people in attendance, representing the leadership of 19 different companies. Dean was an Executive VP at Landmark Entertainment and very much in support of forming what would become the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). As the business person he was, Dean clearly understood the advantages we would have if an association was created to represent our small community of Themed Entertainment professionals. "On 16 November 1991, I held the organizational meeting to formally vote to start the TEA and select our first board of directors. This was done in a conference room at an IAAPA show with over 40 industry leaders in attendance. At this seminal meeting, Dean was a vocal proponent of formalizing the organization. "Throughout the course of Dean's career, as both an independent contractor and as an executive at Apogee Productions, Landmark Entertainment, Universal Studios, Paramount Parks and Wannado City, Dean was a firm supporter of the TEA and its mission. I will always be grateful for Dean’s enthusiasm, mentorship and steadfast support." Celebration of Life A Celebration of Life will take place on 9 April 2024 at 2:00pm EST at Reverb Church (395 S Legacy Trail) in St. Augustine, FL. All are welcome. If you would like to attend please RSVP by 18 March to dely2mil@yahoo.com or call +1.980.406.7722.
1 Comment
Ken Bell
29/2/2024 10:32:57 pm
We stand on the shoulders of giants.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |