Dean Perry “Gooch” Balgoyen, 56, of Allegan, MI passed away Saturday,
December 25, 2021. Born May 18, 1965 in Plainwell, he was the son of the late
Dean Peter Balgoyen and Ruthie (Harrington) Balgoyen and was the husband of
Barbara (Smith) Balgoyen. Perry had a gift for fixing small engines and boat
motors, rarely did he find one he couldn’t. He spent a lot of time in the past few
years restoring his classic 1978 Chevy El Camino and upgrading it with a 404 big
block engine. He was also a fan of the “old” Nascar races and was lucky enough to
have seen Dale Earnhardt Sr. win his one and only Daytona 500.
In addition to his wife of nearly twenty-five years, Perry is survived by his children,
Ryan (Carrie Curtis) Balgoyen and Chelsie (Jake) Weick and their children, Charles
and Henry Weick; siblings, Radena Van Sickle, Kimberly Balgoyen and Kelly
Balgoyen; siblings-in-law, Dottie Smith (Hardy), Jeff (Kenlyn) Smith and Jackie
Smith; and many nieces and nephews.
Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother-in-law, Fred
Smith; and his parents-in-law, Chester and Betty Smith.
In accordance with his wishes, cremation has taken place. A celebration of Perry’s
life is being planned for the Summer of 2022 and those arrangements will be
made available once they are finalized. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions
may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 10069, Detroit, MI 48210.
Gorden Funeral Residence, Allegan Chapel, is assisting the family.
