Dennis grew up in Leroy, Saskatchewan where he met and married the love of his life Patricia Headrick in 1961. Dennis and Pat were married for 51 years, living first in Ontario and then Cold Lake, Alberta. In 1978 Dennis retired from working as an airplane mechanic with the Armed Forces and moved with his family to Codette, Saskatchewan where he eventually worked for UGG as a grain elevator assistant before retiring for good in 1995. Trained as a mechanic, Dennis was an avid fixer of any sort of motor and electronics, with his daughters growing up thinking their dad could fix anything, and he did! Dennis had many interests including reading, cooking, and gardening. When his eye sight began to fail and he could no longer read, Dennis spent hours listening to CBC radio and was always up on current events, interested in talking about what was happening in the world. Right up until his passing, he spent hours on the internet connecting with family and friends through email. When it came to cooking, he was a perfectionist, refining recipes until they became his signature dishes that no one could quite replicate. Dennis had a quick wit and a great sense of humor, enjoying any opportunity to tease and joke with family and friends.
Left to honour his memory are his daughters; Dawn (Gib) Boechler and Kim (Brent) Sanderson. Grandchildren; Amanda (Bruce) Everitt, Dennis (Anna) Boechler, Matthea (Scott Auriat) Sanderson, and Kenzie Sanderson. Great-grandchildren; Ella and Bryn Everitt, and Theodore, Lucas, and Matthew Boechler. Sister Connie(Ian) Rushmer, brother-in-law Bill (Janet) Headrick and nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his wife of 51 years, Pat (Headrick), in 2012, parents, Ike and Harriet Heide, in-laws Marvin and Margaret Headrick, brother Lowell Heide, and nephew Spencer Rushmer. Sister-in-law June Heide recently passed away in December, 2022.
He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, who will be remembered as a man of many talents and immense strength in facing the challenges life brought him.