Dennis Gordon Iverson

Dennis Gordon Iverson passed away on December 25, 2024, in Sunnyvale, California, at the age of 76. He was born April 4th, 1948, in Kalispell, Montana, to Betty and Harold "Gordon" Iverson. Dennis' earliest claim to fame was an appearance in a print advertisement for Ivory Soap that ran in the local Kalispell newspaper.
And there were brains behind that pretty, squeaky-clean face. After graduating from Mira Loma High School in Sacramento, California, class of 1966, Dennis went on to pursue a BS in Chemistry at California State University – Sacramento, graduating in 1971. And, in 1979, after a brief stint in the US Army, where he was stationed in Germany, he earned his PhD in Aquatic Chemistry from University of Wisconsin, Madison.
It was in Madison that he met his wife, Barbara "Barb" Connell, when they were introduced by mutual friends, and could thereafter be found at the Brat and Brau in Madison or seeing live music together. They wed on June 5th, 1976, and were married for 48 years.
In 1980, Dennis began his 29-year career at International Paper (IP) in analytical chemistry and product development. His children's fondest memories of their father's time at IP was the whole family sinking a paddleboat at the company picnic. Work at IP moved the family to Goshen, New York and then Milford, Ohio, and Dennis will be missed by friends and colleagues from both places.
Dennis gave generously of his time and expertise to his community. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader in Troop 62 of the Hudson-Delaware Council. One treasured memory is him showing the scouts how to set money on fire, but, through the magic of chemistry, not burning it. He also acted as liaison between the International Paper Tech Center and Milford, Ohio public schools, working with students and teachers on special projects. And between 2009 and 2019, Dennis maintained the official newsletter of the Queen City Balladeers, a group in Cincinnati, Ohio, dedicated to the preservation, enjoyment, and performance of folk music.
The Queen City Balladeers was an important part of Dennis' social life in Ohio, especially in his retirement. An avid guitar, mandolin, and (especially) ukelele player, Dennis loved to participate in the song circles at the Leo Coffee House and other various song circles and jams.
He also enjoyed dancing with Barb and other square dance enthusiasts as part of the Frontier Squares dance club in Milford, Ohio, for several years.
Dennis is survived by his wife Barb, his two children, Chris (Rachel Hendrick) of Chester, Connecticut, his daughter Amanda (Michael Marx) of Mountain View, California, and his grandchildren Frank and Jane Iverson and Allison and Hannah Marx.
In lieu of flowers, we invite contributions in Dennis' name to the Parkinson's Foundation for Research at https://www.parkinson.org/.