Dennis Connor McCluskey

Dennis Connor McCluskey passed away peacefully on February 13, 2025 after a recent illness. Dennis is preceded in death by his parents Malcolm "Don" and Jane McCluskey and his sister Bridget. He is survived by his children and grandchildren Erin Oley (Billy, Will, Grayson, Piper), Malcolm, Casey, Connor (Janeace, Reece, Dean, Bryn, Gwenyth, Corinne), Michael, and Molly Long (Scott, Howard, George) as well as their mother Patty, and his siblings Tim (Rebecca Villicana), Eileen Sullivan (Greg) and Monica McCluskey (Dick Kennet) and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Dennis was born in Rochester, New York on May 13, 1951. Growing up the fourth of five children, Dennis was a spirited and ambitious child finding adventure where he could find it. "No," was not an answer he readily accepted or liked to hear, so he worked hard to make his dreams become a reality. Throughout his childhood and carrying into adulthood, Dennis seemed to make his own rules when the "rules" didn't fit him. He attended McQuaid Jesuit High School where his love of learning was sparked and supported by the Jesuits who taught there (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam). It was in these years that Dennis met his future wife, Patty Meath McCluskey.

Dennis pursued his love of science at Spring Hill College and then at the University of Alabama Birmingham for medical school. Following their marriage in 1973, Dennis and Patty began their family in Birmingham. The family then relocated to Ohio for his residency where the family continued to grow in Akron.

He opened his medical practice in Mogadore, OH in the early 1980's where he practiced for decades. Dennis was known by many as a tireless worker and for the care he provided as a doctor and a friend. Never one to reject a call when a patient, family member or friend needed his medical advice, Dennis provided counsel, assistance, and love with the medical and personal care he provided. Each person who walked in the door was treated to the highest standard, and essentially earned a VIP distinction in his eyes. Even after retiring from his practice, he continued to practice medicine focusing on the most vulnerable in society.

His children were a great source of pride for him. While work occupied much of his time, he found time to coach their CYO basketball teams, build Fourth of July floats with them for the neighborhood parade, or to call them out of school for St. Patrick's Day so the family could be together to celebrate his favorite holiday. Along with the seasons, so would Dennis's interests and hobbies shift. Spring and Summer were for Cleveland Baseball and boating on the lakes of Ohio and Michigan, Fall was reserved for Notre Dame Football (Go Irish!), and Winter brought him to the ski slopes out west with his family and friends.

He watched his family expand when his children married and had their own kids, amounting to ten grandchildren whom he loved deeply. Affectionately known to them as "Bampa," Dennis made them the center of his attention at holidays, especially Christmas. He attended their sporting events and even streamed those events online when he was too far away to attend. He wanted to bestow upon them the wisdom he gained throughout the years and to provide them with sound advice on how to live a good and full life.

Dennis embraced life and all that came with it. Known for his colorful outfits and gregarious personality, Dennis never missed an opportunity to dress up in a patterned sport coat or to join a party. He loved to tell stories and listen to good music. In his later years, he experienced several medical illnesses and complications that eventually took its toll on him. He left the world peacefully surrounded by his family, doing what he loved, listening to his favorite music and sharing stories of the past. While his passing leaves a void in the world, it also provides all who knew him a cause to celebrate a life well-lived.

His life was spent serving and caring for others. He tried to find the good in everything and everyone.To remember Dennis and to honor him is to do the same, serve and care for each other and celebrate the best life has to offer.

A special thank you to the wonderful staff at Maplewood Assisted Living in Cuyahoga Falls, OH and Crossroads Hospice and Palliative Care for their work, compassion and assistance. Thank you also to Stephen A. Comunale, Rennick Andreoli, Sherri Campailla, Hummel Funeral Home, and Mona Speer.

Visiting Hours will be held on Monday, February 17 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at Hummel Funeral Home, 3475 Copley Rd., Copley, OH 44321.The Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, February 18 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 164 W Market St, Akron, OH 44303, at 11:00 am. Burial to follow.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Dennis's honor to the Comunale Cancer Foundation.