Dr. Dean Gregory Van Dussen

Rev. Dr. Dean Gregory "Greg" Van Dussen died peacefully at home in Batavia, NY, on February 8, 2026.

Greg was born in Rochester, NY, on August 25, 1947, son of Dean J. Van Dussen and Dorothy (Farley) Van Dussen.

He graduated from Spencerport High School in 1965 and went on to study at SUNY Brockport (Bachelor of Arts, 1969). He then earned the degrees of Master of Divinity at Colgate Rochester Divinity School (1972), Master of Arts at Brockport (1983), and Doctor of Ministry at Colgate Rochester (1986). Greg was a longtime pastor in the United Methodist Church. He served the Batavia UMC, Cattaraugus UMC, Bergen UMC, Albion UMC, was the District Superintendent of the Batavia District, and then served the East Aurora UMC and finally Springville UMC. He enjoyed teaching in many contexts. These included Irish and American History at SUNY Brockport and SUNY Empire State University, and courses on religion, spirituality, and pastoral care at Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan University. His love of traditional Irish music, American folk music, and Methodist hymns was matched by his songwriting and singing with the guitar, which he shared with the congregations he served.

Greg and his wife, Jackie, loved to travel. Together, they visited Ireland, Israel, South Korea, England, Poland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, the Bahamas, and made frequent trips to Canada. He was a voracious and careful reader, and could be seen making notes from books each morning at local diners and coffee shops. He was also a writer and published nine books since his retirement in 2011. Despite a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease, he never let it stop his writing. His last book went to press in February.

Greg is lovingly remembered by his wife of 55 years, Jackie (Hinds) Van Dussen; his sons Dan (Ellen) of Boardman, Ohio and Michael (Barbara) of Montreal, QC, Canada; his four grandchildren, Aidan, Maya, Cyril, and Martin; his sister, Gay (Mike) Ellis; and his sister- and brother-in-law, Marcy and Paul Hertzog.

Family and friends are invited to call on the family at Indian Falls Methodist Church, 7908 Alleghany Rd, Corfu, NY, on February 13, 2026, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Greg's funeral service will be held at Indian Falls Methodist Church on February 14, at 2:00 pm. The family would like to invite everyone to a Celebration of Life in the fellowship hall immediately following Greg's funeral service. Greg will be laid to rest in Historic Batavia Cemetery at a later date.

The family kindly asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to: The Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W. Main St., Batavia, NY 14020; Camp Asbury, 16 Lakeside Ave., Silver Lake, NY 14530; Indian Falls Global Methodist Church, 7908 Alleghany Rd., Corfu, NY 14036; or Family Bible Camp, PO Box 153, Findley Lake, NY 14736.