Commissioner Dennis Deer, ‘Healthcare Champion,’ Dies at 51 

Cook County Commissioner Dr. Dennis Deer (2nd), a longtime advocate for healthcare equity, particularly in the area of mental health, died on June 23. He was 51 years old. 

Deer’s close friend, 3rd District Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry, told WBEZ that Deer had complications from a rare double lung transplant he received last year. 

Born and raised on the Westside, Dr. Deer lived in North Lawndale. He was a therapist and counselor with a PhD. in Christian Psychology before assuming a seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 2017 after then-Commissioner Robert Steele died. 

Deer chaired the county board’s health and hospitals committee as a commissioner. He was also a member of the Cook County Health board. 

“He also helped lead the push to make Juneteenth a paid Cook County holiday and advocated for healthier food options in a campaign called ‘Food is Medicine,’” WBEZ reported.

In a June 23 statement, Deer’s family said his “passionate lifelong dedication made him a tireless servant to the community in areas of healthcare, education, economic development, employment and training, and re-entry and affordable housing.”

In a statement on its website, the North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN), a nonprofit that provides a range of services to help people overcome barriers to getting jobs, called Deer “a dedicated champion” of the nonprofit’s programs and a “fixture at NLEN events.” Deer was a member of NLEN’s board of directors for a decade. 

“He especially loved supporting NLEN’s annual Thanksgiving Meal Giveaway, where he’d join other volunteers in passing out hundreds of turkeys and Thanksgiving meals for those in need,” the statement reads. “Dennis was a good friend and beloved community advocate.”

Commissioner Deer married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Deer, in 1996. They have three children. 

Services for Commissioner Deer  Public Viewing: Monday, July 8, noon to 5:45 p.m., at Calahan Funeral Home, 7030 S. Halsted in Chicago. | Omega Psi Phi, Inc., Presentation: 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. | Viewing and remarks: 7:15 to 8 pm Celebration of Life: Tuesday, July 9, Living Word Christian Center, 7600 W. Roosevelt Rd., Forest Park | Visitation: 10 to 10:30 a.m. | Celebration of Life: 10:30 a.m. to noon | Internment: 1:30 to 2 p.m.  Flowers can be sent to: Calahan Funeral Home, 7030 S. Halsted in Chicago, or instead of flowers, send donations to juneteenth-illinois-nfp.square.site.