Byron Bernard “Barney” Deden, 84
Barney Deden was born on May 21, 1941, in Julesburg, Colorado, the second of three children of David Albert Deden and Alis Elsina Dudden. He grew up on a farm a few miles west of Venango, Nebraska. His mother called him Byron, while everyone else called him Barney, after his maternal grandfather.
After graduating from Venango High School in 1959, he attended the University of Colorado and then Colorado State College (now the University of Northern Colorado) where he received a bachelor’s degree in education.
He married Patricia Ann (Patty) McCarthy, of Omaha, Nebraska, on June 8, 1968, at Holy Cross Church in Omaha. The couple spent the next year in Oregon while Barney earned a master’s degree in oceanography from Oregon State University in Corvallis. After that, they returned to Omaha, that internationally known hotbed of oceanography, and started a family.
When it comes to a career, Barney contained multitudes. He poured the concrete bases for streetlights on many Omaha streets in the 1970s. Many drives with Barney, even into the 2000s, contained mentions of “I poured the streetlight bases on this street.” He worked at the Federal Reserve Bank for most of the 1970s. He left there in 1981, when he and Patty bought and ran the Omaha Martinizing Drycleaning business. They grew it from 13 locations to 25. They sold Martinizing and retired in 1998. He and Patty travelled the world, collecting objects, both large and small, from their favorite locations. While not traveling, Barney restored antique cars, and was an active member of the Omaha Model A and Model T clubs.
Barney passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at his home at Aksarben Senior Living, on March 26, 2026.
Barney was preceded in death by his parents, David Deden and Alis Bellairs; in-laws, John and Dottie McCarthy; and hānai grandson ,Owen Joyner.
He is survived by his wife, Patty; sons, Doug and Chris; grandchildren, Dylan and Christina, great-grandchildren, Beau, Emily, and Lana; and hānai family, Simon Joyner, Sara Adkisson Joyner, Frances Joyner, Tinca Joyner; and many others.
A MEMORIAL OPEN HOUSE will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at Our Lady of Mercy Chapel and the Hilmer Art Gallery on the campus of the College of Saint Mary (7000 Mercy Road, Omaha, 68106). Both the Chapel and the Gallery are in Walsh Hall. There will be a brief program at 2:30 p.m. in the Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, Barney would be thrilled if you would make a donation to the College of Saint Mary, the Siena Francis House, or the Alzheimer’s Association
https://www.csm.edu/alumnae-friends/giving-college-saint-mary
https://sienafrancis.org/how-to-help/donate.html
Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak-Cutler, West Center Chapel, 7805 West Center Road, Omaha, Ne 68124. (402)-391-3900. www.heafeyheafey.com