Dennis Frederick Spinner

Dennis Frederick Spinner, 65, of Boxborough, died suddenly, Wed., July 2, 2008 at Emerson Hospital in Concord.

He was the husband of Margaret Anne (Dearden) Spinner to whom he was married for 42 years, and the father of Karen Elizabeth Spinner and Kevin Dennis Spinner, and soon to be father-in-law of Sarvenaz Zand, all of San Francisco, CA.

Born in New Bedford, he was the son of the late Frederick J. & Pauline A. (Daley) Spinner. Mr. Spinner graduated with highest credit from New Bedford High School, and in 1965 graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

A Senior Software Engineer at Raytheon for 30 years, he thoroughly enjoyed fatherhood and loved supporting his children's activities from athletics to drama. He traveled many miles to attend both Karen and Kevin's soccer games as coach, Dad, and enthusiastic fan, in addition to many performances, award ceremonies, and graduations. He taught his children to fish at a very young age at Lake Noquochoke in Dartmouth. He took his family on an annual fishing trip to Maine, generating fond memories. In retirement, Mr. Spinner expanded his avid interest in Native American arts. He passed enjoyable hours creating his own Native American-style crafts and trading with several Native American shops and galleries in Maine and Massachusetts.

He is also survived in Auburn by his mother-in-law, Anne Yvonne Dearden; his brother-in-law, William Stanley Dearden; his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Johnson; a niece, Jessica Still and her husband Bradley, and a nephew, Scott Wrenn and his wife, Brooke; and in Shrewsbury, by a niece, Elizabeth Nichols and her husband, John.

Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of his life to be held in September with date, time and location to be announced. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make memorial contributions in his name to the Downeast Lakes Land Trust, P.O. Box 75, Grand Lake Stream, ME 04637. Mr. Spinner's warm and unique sense of humor was a source of laughter and sometimes bewilderment, challenging his family and friends to stay on their toes. Mr. Spinner will be lovingly remembered and sorely missed.