Mardean B. Haines

On July 22, 2025, Mardean Beth Haines went to be with the Lord. She passed away peaceful at her home in Castle Rock, Colorado.

Named after both her parents, Dean and Marjorie (Sailer) Stewart, Mardean was born on October 19, 1954 in Burlington, Colorado. She grew up on the Stewart farm 9 miles north of Burlington. When she was 6 years old, she became a sister to Bob and Penny. Later in 1963, her youngest sister Robin was born. Mardean loved pretending she was a nurse or a doctor and often tried to feed red hots to all the dogs, and when she wasn’t playing nurse she was sorting through her mom’s button can. Mardean participated in 4-H and showed steers along with cooking and sewing projects. Mardean’s love of sewing grew and that became one of her cherished hobbies. Mardean graduated from Burlington High School in 1972 and then went on to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. She worked as a Candy Striper, then on the ambulance, and eventually as a flight nurse.

In 1974, she married Galen Haines, and to this union her son Burk was born in 1976. As Burk grew up she tried to attend every sporting event he participated in. She often would fix him cinnamon rolls and brownies. If you ask Burk today he would say every time he had a worry she would listen to him and try to help in every way possible. He truly was the light of her world. As the years went on she enjoyed the conversations she had with Grandma Jeanie Haines, and fair and BBQ visits with Sherry Hrovat and Nick Haines.

Mardean continued to pursue her nursing career and received her Master’s in Management and her Nurse Practitioners degree. She was a flight nurse for Air Life for 10 years and was featured on the front page of the Rocky Mountain Newspaper as the “Angel of Mercy”. She moved into management for Air Methods and managed flight crews. She then took on the challenge of Medical Customer Support in the Design Build department, making sure the correct equipment was installed in the medical helicopters. After leaving the helicopter programs she began her career as a nurse practitioner and worked for Hospice for 5 years. If you asked her, she would say, “I had an amazing career”.

While working as a flight nurse, she met a handsome firefighter named Mike Dechant who became her husband that spanned over the course of 35 years. Mike was her constant companion, and they loved spending time spoiling the grandkids. Mike and Mardean had a love of watching the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avs and Colorado Rockies. Burk always tried to get them to choose a winning team in baseball, but they stayed loyal to the Rockies.

She had a love for quilting and made some amazing quilts. She always had a quilt project going and eventually started her own business after purchasing a long arm quilting machine. She enjoyed making quilts with a quilting group and getting to know all those whom she did quilting for.

Burk married Holly Miller in 2010 and Mardean loved and treasured her new daughter-in-law. Mardean’s heart was so full when her grandson Brewer was born in 2012 and granddaughter Geneva in 2014. Mardean loved the named Geneva as she was named after her mother. She loved and treasured these two and very happily spoiled them every chance she could get. She would enjoy coming to spend time with them and making their birthdays, Christmas or any holiday special. She once again found herself attending sporting events and concerts.

Mardean was a very loving and supportive wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend and will be greatly missed.

Mardean is preceded in death by her parents, Dean and Marjorie Stewart; her brother, Russell David; and her grandparents, Hurley and Hattie Stewart and C.L. and Mertie Sailer.

Those left to cherish her memory: her husband, Mike Dechant; her son Burk (Holly) Haines; her grandchildren, Brewer and Geneva Haines; her brother, Bob Stewart (Theresa) of Burlington, Colorado; her sister, Penny Wade (Ken) of Springfield, Colorado; and her sister, Robin Roberts (Charlie “Jr”) of Loveland, Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Mardean’s name can be made to the United Methodist Church or your local 4-H Club or local animal shelter.