On Sunday, March 24, family and friends of Timothy Dean gathered in West Hollywood along with the community to celebrate what would have been his 56th birthday. Timothy‘s sisters Joyce Jackson and Joann Campbell attended as well as his close friends Mark Chambers and Walter Harris. Together they shared testimony and insight on Timothy‘s character and the love they had for him.
Dean died on January 7 in the West Hollywood apartment of Democratic major donor Ed Buck. He was the second Black man to die of a drug overdose in 18 months at Buck’s home. Dean was scheduled to visit Paris for his birthday, a city he had fallen in love with in 2018 while there for the Paris Gay Games where he took home the silver medal in the basketball Mens 35+ Division. Both Paris and basketball were highlighted during the birthday celebration which was held in the community room of the West Hollywood library in the heart of the city. A special literary performance of James Baldwin was performed by renowned thespian Charles Reese (“Beauty and the Baller,” BET).
Timothy was a graduate of Tampa’s East Bay High School’s Class of 1982. He moved to California in 2002 and earned an AA Degree from Santa Monica College in 2015.
Timothy lived in West Hollywood and enjoyed playing basketball for the National Gay Basketball Association (NGBA) League in California. Timothy was a member of Lambda Basketball League since 1991 and was the co-captain of the LA Heat. Timothy was inducted in the Gay Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. Timothy played his last game at the Paris Gay Games in August of 2018 taking home the Silver medal in the Men’s 35+ division.
He became a fashion consultant for Bloomingdale’s and worked diligently at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills where he was one of their top salespersons.
Timothy was known for his fashionable style and appearance and for being a lover of food.
An autopsy and toxicology report is still pending in his death.
Ed Buck has yet to be detained or charged in Gemmel Moore or Timothy Dean’s death.
For more information, please visit justice4gemmel.org.
