SIMONSON, Dennis E., age 76

Died: Tuesday, February 20th, 2018

Memorial Service: Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 11:15 a.m. (Spring Equinox) at St. John's Lutheran Church (1804 Highland Ave.) with Pastor Christine Emerson officiating. A luncheon will follow the service and will include some of Dennis' Norwegian favorites.

Visitation: one hour prior to the service at church

Interment: St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Eau Claire, Wisconsin

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Dennis' name to the HSHS Sacred Heart Foundation.
900 W. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire, WI 54701
https://www.sacredhearteauclaire.org/Giving

Dennis E. Simonson, age 76, of Eau Claire, passed away at Sacred Heart Hospital on Tuesday, February 20, 2018, after a brief hospital stay. He was surrounded by his family and close friends.

Dennis was born on January 3, 1942, in Minneapolis, joining his brother, Jerry, as sons of the late Harold and Ruby (Bartlett) Simonson. Dennis grew up in Colfax and enjoyed playing basketball in high school.

After attending Colfax High School, Dennis served as a Seaman in the United States Navy between 1960 and 1962. Upon leaving the service, Dennis and Donna Giebel (Higgin) married and started a family, welcoming Pamela Kay in 1962 and Curtis Lee in 1965. In 1970, the family moved to a hobby farm south of Eau Claire where Dennis enjoyed tending their vegetable gardens and spending time with family and friends who would visit frequently. The family dog, Riley, provided years of companionship.

Dennis started working at the old Sacred Heart Hospital as an Orderly in the Emergency Room in 1963. Dennis was selected by the Sisters at Sacred Heart to attend X-Ray school and became certified as a Registered Technologist of X-Ray Technology in 1969. Dennis continued his studies becoming a certified Registered Technologist of Nuclear Medicine Technology in 1974. He worked for Sacred Heart Hospital until his retirement in 2005.

In 1980, Dennis moved back to Eau Claire and soon became involved with the Triangle Club at KC Hall and was the Thursday night AA meeting opener for many years. Dennis also became very passionate about his Harley Davidson motorcycles, which he would dress out to the hilt and ride for a year or so before trading in for the next new model. He was a proud HOG member for years. He enjoyed riding along the Mississippi, stopping for lunch and ice cream along the way. Dennis made several trips to Sturgis, including the 50^th Sturgis Rally celebration in 1990. He enjoyed the open road and traveling through the Black Hills of South Dakota. His collection of Harley Davidson t-shirts, jackets, boots, and memorabilia was staggering. He was an avid bowler back in the 80s/early 90s, bowling in the men's league at Wagner's for several years, including a few years on a team with Curt. Being a proud Norwegian, Dennis was a big fan and a regular of the fall lutefisk dinners offered by area churches.

After his retirement, Dennis continued his love of riding his Harleys, finally selling his last bike in 2015. He enjoyed doing the daily St. Paul Pioneer Press crossword puzzles. He loved to watch classic movies on TCM and was quite the B&W movie buff! He was a devoted Nascar, Packers, Brewers and Badgers fan. He also enjoyed engaging in some good-natured ribbing with the waitresses at Mom's Kitchen and the employees at the Holiday Station on Birch St. He was a regular at Sue's Bake Shop for years. His sweet tooth was insatiable!

Dennis is survived by and will be dearly missed by his daughter, Pamela (David) Wolfe; son, Curtis Simonson; grandchildren, Nicholas (Lena) Anderson, Hannah and Matthew Simonson; great-grandchildren, Tallulah, Hortensia and Zevon Anderson; sister-in-law, Kathy Simonson; many nieces, nephews, and other relatives. He is also survived by his coffee pal and former colleague, Dr. Kim Stien, and close friend, Judy Tabor.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Jerry.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference."