Dean Rhoades, 64, founder of the Dean Rhoades Salon in Beverly Hills and co-founder of DermaNew Skincare, passed away on September 6th in his sleep at his Beverly Hills home. Dean was born on July 17, 1950, in Indianapolis, IN, to Terry and Wynona Rhoades, of blessed memory.
Dean was an inventor and innovator from his earliest days as a teen. He followed his dream to London at age 20, where he studied at Vidal Sassoon and was quickly on his way to becoming a world-class hair stylist. The Dean Rhoades Salon he founded became known for excellence in hair and skincare, providing award-winning beauty solutions to a celebrity clientele that relied upon Dean not only to style their hair, but to create their image.
Dean was one of the first to recognize the emerging role of salons as day spas. He was also one of the first who embraced natural-based products by joining forces with Aveda. He felt that he wasn’t just cutting hair, but instead changing the quality of his client’s lives.
It was at a Beauty Industry Show when Dean met Amby Longhofer, his life and business partner. It was love at first sight, and they married and had their wonderful son, Wyatt. Dean and Amby created the first privately owned Aveda Lifestyle Store and Salon in the heart of Beverly Hills.
Dean continued his passion for invention, innovation, and design at DermaNew, inventing a hand-held skin resurfacing device that became a new beauty category, and the standard for at-home skin resurfacing.
As an accomplished entrepreneur, Dean went to school and graduated after three years with an Executive MBA from the Harvard Executive Education Business School OPM 34. He liked to joke that he was “The Hairdresser who went to Harvard”.
Dean loved the ocean. And besides hair, beauty, and his family, of course, deep-sea fishing was Dean’s other love. Good sushi, global travel, world history, and a political debate were things Dean couldn’t pass up.
Dean called himself a “serial inventor” and if you stepped into his garage and workshop, you’d know why. Until September 6th, Dean had been working on a couple more “dreams” that he will be testing up there. And of course, we will soon see and enjoy them here, as he will be waving down to us.
Amby as well as Dean’s sons, Dustin and Wyatt, will honor his work and continue his legacy by bringing Dean’s latest inventions to life. Dean’s sisters, Terri, Diana, Victoria, Dawn and brother Kent, will be cheering on. And Dean’s two grandkids, Trey and Avery, will be following in the footsteps of their amazing Granddad.
Dean’s family, many friends, and acquaintances mourn the loss of a man who gave his soul to creating a more beautiful world for all. He left us with infinite knowledge, an enduring passion for invention, and the realization that any dream really can come true.
A celebration of a life well-lived will take place at 4:00 p.m. on October 17th at the Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church located at 505 N. Rodeo Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210. All are invited to attend the celebration and the reception that will immediately follow.
[Image courtesy of Joni Rae and Associates]
