Basic Information
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Mary Sue Wittauer |
| Also known as | Mary Sue “Sue” Wittauer; Mary Sue Dean (after marriage) |
| Known for | First wife of entertainer and businessman Jimmy Ray Dean; mother of their three children |
| Spouse | Jimmy Ray Dean (married 1950; divorced 1990) |
| Children | Garry (often spelled Gary) T. Dean; Connie Elizabeth Dean (later Taylor); Robert R. Dean |
| Parents | Herbert Joseph Wittauer; Carrie D. Householder |
| Nationality | American |
| Residences noted publicly | Tenafly, New Jersey (noted in the 1980s) |
| Occupation | No widely documented independent public career |
| Notable appearances | Photographs and occasional TV/publicity mentions alongside Jimmy Dean |
| Birth details | Not publicly confirmed in authoritative records |
| Death details | Not publicly confirmed in authoritative records |
Biography Overview
Mary Sue Wittauer stepped into American popular culture not as a headliner, but as the steadfast partner to one. In July 1950, at the dawn of the television age and the early upswing of postwar country music, she married Jimmy Ray Dean. He would soon become a chart-topping singer, a familiar face on national TV, and later a successful entrepreneur. Their marriage threaded through decades of shifting stages, studios, and family life, with Mary Sue present in the background of photographs, show publicity, and the everyday rhythms of a growing household.
Three children arrived—Garry, Connie, and Robert—and the family found its footing as Jimmy’s star rose. The 1950s and 1960s brought relentless touring and television, yet Mary Sue’s presence appears in the public record as measured, consistent, and grounded. She is glimpsed in portraits and event photographs, in program mentions, and in those small but telling references that mark the contours of a private life surrounded by public attention.
By the 1980s, the Deans were associated with Tenafly, New Jersey, a detail that helps situate the family’s day-to-day life during years when the children were adults and building lives of their own. The long marriage came to an end in 1990. In the years that followed, public references to Mary Sue focused on her role as first wife and mother of Jimmy Dean’s children. The spotlight remained on the entertainer; she stayed, as ever, a step offstage, a figure defined more by relationships and time than by headlines.
Family and Relationships
Mary Sue’s public story is anchored in family. The table below summarizes the key relationships that surface in public documentation.
| Name | Relationship to Mary Sue Wittauer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Ray Dean | Spouse | Married July 11, 1950; divorce finalized in 1990; country singer, TV host, actor, and businessman |
| Garry (Gary) T. Dean | Son | Eldest child; appears in family and obituary references |
| Connie Elizabeth Dean (Taylor) | Daughter | Married Walter Jones Taylor in 1987; family notices publicly identify her as Mary Sue’s daughter |
| Robert R. Dean | Son | Youngest child; listed in family references and remembrances |
| Herbert Joseph Wittauer | Father | Named in genealogical records |
| Carrie D. Householder | Mother | Named in genealogical records |
Families often tell their stories through milestones. For Mary Sue, those milestones are child-centered: a daughter’s wedding, references to grandchildren, and the steady drumbeat of anniversaries and relocations that accompany a busy entertainment life.
Timeline: Key Dates and Milestones
| Date | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| July 11, 1950 | Marriage to Jimmy Ray Dean | Marks the start of a four-decade marriage |
| 1950s | Early public appearances | Photographs and publicity place Mary Sue alongside Jimmy during his rising career |
| 1960s | National TV era | Presence documented in portraits and show-related materials during peak TV years |
| 1970s | Continued family life | The Dean family matures as Jimmy expands his work beyond music |
| 1980s | Residence noted in Tenafly, New Jersey | Public mentions tie the family to Tenafly during this period |
| 1987 | Daughter’s wedding | Connie Elizabeth Dean marries Walter Jones Taylor |
| 1990 | Divorce from Jimmy Dean | Marriage concludes after approximately 40 years |
| 1991 and after | Post-divorce period | References to Mary Sue center on her role as first wife and mother of three |
Homes, Work, and Daily Life
The public record paints Mary Sue as a family anchor during a career that demanded constant motion. While Jimmy Dean toured, recorded, and appeared on television, Mary Sue’s role—largely undramatized—was to keep the family stitched together. The work of such a life is rarely tabulated, yet its traces remain: a stable home base, a growing family, and a consistent presence in the sorts of images and notices that do not seek fame but confirm its orbit.
There is no widely documented independent professional profile for Mary Sue—no lengthy filmography, no executive résumé, no recurring byline. Instead, she occupies the familiar American archetype of the mid-century spouse who managed the center of gravity at home while the family navigated the often-unforgiving arc of public success. During the 1980s, mentions of Tenafly, New Jersey, suggest suburban routines: school runs once upon a time, social calendars, holidays, and the quieter labor of making famous days livable.
Cultural Footprints and Appearances
Cultural history often reduces lives to index cards. In Mary Sue’s case, those cards include:
- Photographic portraits and event images with Jimmy Dean during the 1950s–1970s.
- Occasional television and publicity mentions that mark her as present, supportive, and integral to the family narrative.
- Family notices tying her to key events like her daughter’s 1987 wedding.
These breadcrumbs do not add up to a celebrity profile; they form a silhouette—one that suggests steadiness, discretion, and a willingness to let the spotlight fall elsewhere. If Jimmy Dean’s career was the marquee, Mary Sue was the proscenium arch: framing, supporting, never the feature, always essential.
Children and Descendants
The Dean children formed the heart of Mary Sue’s public identity. Each appears in family references across decades, their names recurring in remembrances and celebrations.
- Garry (Gary) T. Dean: The eldest, often identified in profiles that touch on the family.
- Connie Elizabeth Dean (Taylor): Her 1987 marriage emerges as a well-documented signpost, linking Mary Sue to social and family life in the Northeast.
- Robert R. Dean: The youngest son, referenced in later family mentions.
Grandchildren occasionally surface in remembrances associated with the broader Dean family, underscoring Mary Sue’s enduring role as the matriarchal figure across generations—even when the narrative isn’t about her.
Myth and Fact: What’s Known vs. Unverified
| Topic | What’s Known | What’s Unverified/Not Publicly Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Birth and death details | Not widely confirmed in authoritative public records | Specific dates remain unverified in primary sources |
| Independent career | No well-documented stand-alone public career | Any private or local roles are not publicly chronicled |
| Public appearances | Photographs and occasional TV/publicity mentions with Jimmy Dean | Regular on-screen roles or extensive credits |
| Residences | Tenafly, New Jersey cited during the 1980s | Comprehensive residence history across decades |
| Family | Three children with Jimmy Dean: Garry, Connie, Robert | Comprehensive list of grandchildren and extended relatives |
The balance of facts suggests a life lived close to the center of a public figure’s career, without the desire—or perhaps the need—to generate an independent media trail.
FAQ
Who is Mary Sue Wittauer?
She is best known as the first wife of entertainer and businessman Jimmy Ray Dean and the mother of their three children.
When did she marry Jimmy Dean?
They married on July 11, 1950, at the outset of Dean’s rise in music and television.
How many children did they have?
Three: Garry (often spelled Gary) T. Dean, Connie Elizabeth Dean (later Taylor), and Robert R. Dean.
Did Mary Sue have a public career of her own?
There is no widely documented independent public career; her appearances are largely in connection with Jimmy Dean’s work.
Where did the family live during the 1980s?
Public references place the family in Tenafly, New Jersey, during that period.
When did Mary Sue and Jimmy Dean divorce?
Their marriage ended in 1990 after roughly four decades together.
Are there videos that feature Mary Sue Wittauer?
She appears in period publicity and is occasionally associated with television appearances tied to Jimmy Dean, though she is not the subject of widely circulated standalone videos.
Is Mary Sue’s birth date publicly known?
Authoritative public records do not provide a confirmed birth date for Mary Sue Wittauer.
What is she most recognized for today?
For her central role in the Dean family story—spouse to Jimmy Dean during his formative and peak years and mother of their children—rather than for solo public achievements.
