Dennis A. "The Opal Man" Dahl

Dennis Arthur Dahl, "The Opal Man", age 77, of Spring Green, passed away on Tuesday February 13th, 2024 under hospice care at Greenway Manor Nursing Home. He was born on March 22, 1946, the son of Robert and Evelyn (Herbig) Dahl in Rockford, IL.
Dennis was the oldest of three children by Bob and Evie Dahl. He was a quiet and supportive pillar in the family. He offered a unique perspective on life, sharing his faith and love of God with all. He was a patient teacher with a big heart. Just as with his opals he was able to see people's beauty through the rough. He attended college in Rockford and, when called upon by his country, he faithfully served in the Army during the Vietnam War.
Dennis was a highly skilled opal cutter. After spending a year in Australia in 1969 working at an opal shop and learning to cut opal he began his opal business as a Master Opal Cutter and Opal Wholesaler in 1970. He sold his cut opals throughout the Midwest and beyond. Australia became Dennis's second home as he regularly traveled to the opal mines, bringing home rough opal (boxes of rocks) to cut into beautiful opal cabochons highly sought after in the world of gems. Dennis began his business in Rockford, Illinois under the name of Harlequin Enterprises, renamed in 1973 to Midwest Gem Cutters. In 1975 he moved to Hanover, Illinois, and in 2001 another move to Spring Green, Wisconsin and a name change to The Opal Man. He expanded his business into the retail world in 2011 when he opened his all- opal jewelry store in Spring Green, WI housed in little stone gas station built in 1926 that looked like a bit like a gingerbread house. In Dennis's own words, "It's a wonderful adventure, in a great little town, in a beautiful building, with fascinating opals and unique opal jewelry," His business remains the only retail store dedicated to selling only opal and opal jewelry in North America. In 2019 he expanded his retail business and opened The Opal Man of Lake Geneva. Dennis found a sense of home in Lake Geneva where he opened his second store. He appreciated and felt blessed to have the wonderful customers of the city and his staff who he considered friends.
Dennis loved being an entrepreneur, he loved opals, but most of all he loved God. His highest goal was to follow Jesus wholeheartedly with every twist and turn of his life. He did this well in the world of opals and jewelry. He has many friends across the country (and the world) who remember Dennis as the "opal guy" who literally "walked" into their store, their mine, and their life with a backpack and message of God's love for all. He was charming, humble, mysterious, and a drifter with purpose. One of Dennis's all time favorite sayings was, "Opals are tiny windows through which we see the Kingdom of Heaven." With each opal he cut at the wheel he saw a tiny bit of the Kingdom of Heaven and now through his faith in Jesus, he is dwelling in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Survivors include, niece, Natalie Dahl, niece, Carrie (Jeannette) McBriar, niece, Kellie (Chad) Knutti, nephew, Travis Dahl, niece, Kim McBriar, nephew, Justin (Aliona) Dahl and niece, Kace Wagner. Included are many great nieces and nephews
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Evelyn Dahl, sister, Connie Wagner and brother, Douglas and sister-in-law, Jo Mary Dahl.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, February 18, 2024 at the Spring Green Community Church at 2:00 P.M. Rev. Kendall Harger will officiate with burial in the Willwood Cemetery in Rockford, IL at a later date. Visitation will be held on Sunday at the church from 12:30 P.M. until the time of service.
Online condolences available at www.staffordfuneralhomes.com. The Richardson-Stafford Funeral Home in Spring Green is assisting the family with the arrangements.