Dean Rasmussen is fondly remembered as the “Godfather of ALS Advocacy.” After losing his father to ALS in 2000, Dean put his grief into action. While fighting his own battle with Parkinson’s Disease, Dean’s vision and philanthropic efforts supported the creation of The ALS Association’s federal public policy program, in partnership with the US Department of Defense and Centers for Disease Control, and the ALS Network’s advocacy program in California. Dean was an ALS Network Advisory Trustee; emeritus trustee of the National ALS Association; and Founder and Emeritus Chair of The ALS Association Federal Advocacy Committee. He died on July 20, 2024 with an unforgettable legacy.
His wife, Kathleen O’Brien Rasmussen, served as an Advisory Trustee and, later, the Chair of the Board of Directors of The ALS Association Greater Los Angeles Chapter. She successfully co-chaired the 2010 merger of the Greater Bay Area and Los Angeles Chapters into the Golden West Chapter, which is now known as the ALS Network. She is an Emeritus Trustee of the Harvard Medical School Neuro Discovery Center. She most recently served as a member of the ALS Network’s Board of Directors and actively participated on our Fund Development Committee.
Both Dean and Kathleen enjoyed traveling and spending time with their family — especially their grandchildren. They were also passionately involved in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases through their efforts with the ALS Network and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. As a result of Dean’s tenacity and determination, advocacy efforts have generated over an estimated billion dollars in support of the ALS community. As a part of the ALS Network’s Sheila Essey Award for Research, the Dean and Kathleen Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2018 in honor of Dean and Kathleen for their significant contributions at the local, regional, and national level.
“Dean quickly became a transformational leader in the life of our organization. His legacy in our organization will forever be set in stone and he will forever be remembered as the cornerstone of our transformation. Dean’s impact can be felt from the halls of the California Legislature to the halls of Congress, and more importantly, Dean’s impact can be felt by constituencies across the nation.”
– Fred Fisher, MSW, LCSW, President Emeritus, ALS Network
Dean’s extraordinary life and generous support for the ALS Network in honor of his father inspire our unwavering efforts to cure ALS and related neurodegenerative diseases.
A champion like no other, the ALS Network expresses our gratitude and admiration for Dean. He embodied our courageous mission and helped fuel strategic and bold actions to develop powerful collaborative partnerships, influence public policy, and accelerate the search for effective prevention strategies, treatments, and cures.
We invite you to honor Dean’s life and legacy by making a commitment to cure ALS in his name.