Dean McClatchey, 87, of New Bern, N.C., formerly of Burlington, died Friday, Feb. 26, 2010, at Southminster Retirement Community in Charlotte, N.C., of heart failure.

Born Nov. 6, 1922, in Yale, he was the son of Bert William and Violet Claussen McClatchey. On Dec. 18, 1943, he married Maxine Giefer.

Mr. McClatchey owned and operated Chance Construction Co. in New Bern, building it into a successful grading and paving company with its own asphalt plant. He had worked for Raid Brothers Quarry in Burlington, where he was a co-owner, before managing quarries in Kentucky and North Carolina and then retiring and purchasing his company in New Bern. He had worked for Magnolia Petroleum in Texas and in sales for Herman M. Brown Co. in Des Moines.

He served his country in World War II. After completing aviation cadet training in Lubbock, Texas, he received his wings, and as a commissioned officer, became a B-24 flight instructor in Liberal, Kan. After the war, he attended Iowa State University in Ames, where he received his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.

He served on several boards of directors, including the Owensboro National Bank. He was appointed by North Carolina Gov. Jim Martin to the State Contractors' Licensing Board. He was a member of the Noon Rotary Club in New Bern, Elks Lodge, Masonic Lodge and the Shriners.

He owned a series of private airplanes and was an avid hunter, fisherman, boater, golfer, photographer and lover of all wildlife. He was a longtime member of the YMCA, where he regularly biked and lifted weights.

Survivors include his wife; one son, Bruce McClatchey of San Francisco; one daughter, Katherine Malsbary of Gastonia, N.C.; eight grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; one brother, Jim McClatchey of Phoenix, Ariz.; and nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by one daughter and one sister.

The memorial service for Mr. McClatchey will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Garber Methodist Church in New Bern.

A memorial has been established for Gilda's Club of Evansville in Evansville, Ind., YMCA, National Heart Association, the Cancer Society and Garber Methodist Church.