Dean Riesen ’79, a real estate and business developer whose nonprofit Tanzania Water Fund brought clean water to more than 200,000 people, died Nov. 22, 2024, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Riesen grew up in Iowa small towns as a minister’s son. Driven to succeed and broaden his horizons, he became an Eagle Scout and a Rotary exchange student in Australia. He majored in economics and business and politics at Cornell, where he met his wife, Bambi Hull Riesen ’82, and made lifelong friends in Beta Omicron. His liberal arts education propelled him as a lifelong learner who rose early every morning to read and study. He later became a Cornell Trustee and taught two Cornell economics classes.
He and Bambi married in 1982 just before his position with Ramada Inns took them to Dusseldorf, Germany. They moved in 1984 to Minnesota, where Riesen held multiple senior positions for Carlson Group. Later they relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, where Riesen ran a commercial real estate firm and private equity investment company. After traveling to several African countries, Riesen founded the Tanzania Water Fund. In addition, he served in numerous founder and leadership capacities across business, politics, and philanthropy.
He is survived by his wife, mother, sister, three children and their spouses, and three grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m., June 7, 2025, at Metropolitan Ballroom & Clubroom, Golden Valley, Minnesota.