February 20, 1971 – January 5, 2026
Dean Joseph Mackenburg, age 54, of Cresco, Iowa, passed away at his home on January 5, 2026.
Dean was born on February 20, 1971, in Cresco, Iowa, to Dale Mackenburg and Jean (McCulloch) Kuhn. He was baptized and confirmed at Assumption Catholic Church in Cresco. He graduated from Crestwood High School in 1989. Dean welcomed his first child, Alicia, on October 30, 1989, followed by his second born, Alex, on December 18, 1995. During their youth, Dean was active as a football coach and volunteered his time with the local boy scouts.
Following high school, Dean began working at Mackenburg Pallets before moving on to Balk Lime & Redi-Mix. His career eventually led him to Croell Redi-Mix, where he spent the last 13 years as a plant manager. Dean truly enjoyed interacting with contractors, customers, and coworkers, and took great pride in the relationships he built throughout his career.
In November of 2018, Dean met the love of his life, Kayla. The two were perfectly matched and rarely seen apart. They were married on March 7, 2023, in a private ceremony held at his father’s home in Texas.
Dean was an avid dirt track racing fan and attended races whenever possible. He was a die-hard Scott Bloomquist supporter and made many trips around the country since the 1980s to cheer him on. He also cherished time spent with his hunting buddies and enjoyed a good game of Euchre or Texas Hold’em whenever he could. Known for his quick wit and great sense of humor, Dean was always ready with a funny story. He loved side-by-side rides with his wife and taking their dogs for rides in the rat rod, especially trips to A&W for pup cups.
Dean is survived by his wife, Kayla, and his beloved furbabies, Bo Jangles and Jett Joseph; children, Alicia Mackenburg and Alex (Marissa) Mackenburg; parents, Dale (Jill) Mackenburg and Jean Kuhn; sister, Paula Mackenburg; and brother, Rick (Cheri Petersen) Mackenburg. He is also survived by a nephew, Hunter (Allie Burke) Mackenburg, and nieces Hailey (Joe Holland) Mackenburg and Kristen (Cody) Thornton. Additional survivors include his step-siblings, Dean (Laura) Kuhn, Steve (Steph) Kuhn and Julie (Ron) Langreck.
Dean is also survived by his father and mother in-law, Donny and Paula McIntyre; brothers-in-law Travis (Brittany) McIntyre, along with nephew Gaige and niece Keigan (his “little Peanut”); Matt (Allie) McIntyre, along with niece Madison and nephew Macoy; and sister-in-law Jenna (Kyle) Whalen, along with nephew Noah.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Virgil and Mary Mackenburg and Lucien and Mary McCulloch-Fitzgerald; his stepfather, Art Kuhn; and other loved ones who welcomed him home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.
A celebration of life will be held on Friday, January 16, 2026, at McAllister’s Heritage Event Center from 3:00-6:00pm. Please plan to dress casual, just as Dean would want you to.
The family will do their best to greet everyone, but please keep in mind that the line will need to move quickly to try and allow everyone to pay their respects. Your help is appreciated to make this happen.
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