Dean Giannonatti

Long-time Keystone businessman, Dean P. Giannonatti passed peacefully August 15, 2023. Dean was born and raised in rural Harding County to Joseph A. “Alec” Giannonatti and Gladys Mae (Hafner) Giannonatti.
A memorial service will be held at the Keystone Community Center on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 at 10:30 A.M.
A pilot, Dean flew to his first job interview in education. A rancher, Dean put down roots to work hard, but also enjoyed the chats with neighbors Francie and Marian Giannonatti that stretched into the night. A lifelong student, Dean engaged in higher education even if he later chose not to follow that path. That passion led to him being a teacher for many students in the Harding County science classes.
Dean married LaVeta Cordes at Keystone, South Dakota on August 29, 1965. From that point on they led a life of adventure and challenges. From riding their matching motorcycles around the county, to morning hikes through the Hills, together they explored and absorbed more information. They ranched together, they taught together, and together they ran their businesses in Keystone.
When Dean and LaVeta moved to Keystone in 1983, he jumped into business with the usual enthusiasm. He took pride in the quality inventory of his stores, and the display of his mounts, skins, and antlers. All of this fed to his true passion; storytelling. Many a Navy vet remarked about the stories Dean would tell about his brother Curt when they met him sweeping the streets in Keystone. To the end, Dean engaged in the storytelling with anyone he could.
Dean was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Dona Glee (Giannonatti) Berbos, his brother Curtis A. Giannonatti, LaVeta’s parents Vincent Cordes and Amelia (Zwetsig) Cordes, and his sister-in-law CariDee (Cordes) Foley.
He is survived by his wife, LaVeta Giannonatti, his sister-in-law Mary Lee Smith, his brother-in-law Bernard V. Cordes and nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. Suggested memorial donations are the Keystone Fire Department or the Ludlow Fire Department.