Dennis J. McGurk

It was a still a couple hours before first light over Essex Bay when Dennis, held close by his sons and his life partner, died quietly on Friday morning in his West Gloucester home. His achievements were well-known: successful business owner, marathoner on every continent, Porsche enthusiast, preservationist, community activist, and world traveler of unending curiosity. But those closest to him will remember him for his strength of character, his commitment to justice, his disdain for bullies, and above all, his boundless love for his sons, Chris and Mike, his grandchildren, Mikey and Anna, and his devoted partner, Cindy.

Born in Buffalo, NY, and raised in the Hudson Valley town of Red Hook, Dennis received his bachelor's degree from Northeastern University, paying for his education and supporting his wife and two young children by working as a bricklayer, Boston cab driver, and laborer in a TV dinner factory. After graduation, he served on active duty with the Army National Guard as an artilleryman.

Dennis subsequently earned an MBA from Babson College and a few years later, with $2500 from the sale of his motorcycle, he and a young business partner went deep in debt and bought Chelsea's Industrial Wiper Supply from its retiring owners. By the time they sold the business 23 years later, they had increased its revenues by 3,000%. Not ready for retirement, Dennis became a consultant for the next 15 years and led the turnaround success of a major New England industrial supply company.

At the age of 57, Dennis – a casual runner at best – was convinced by some wayward friends that he should run a marathon. In Antarctica. Challenge accepted, he and his posse boarded a Russian trawler in Tierra del Fuego, crossed the Drake Passage and then ran 26.2 miles along melting glaciers. Over the years, he would run marathons in Patagonia, Kenya, Tokyo, New Zealand, Dublin and, yes, Boston (five times).

A Gloucester resident for 35 years, he treasured his 1920's arts and crafts style house on upper Concord Street, looking out over Essex Bay, Conomo Point and the back coast of Crane Beach. He was deeply committed to preserving the unspoiled woodlands of West Gloucester and to protecting the Great Marsh. After every excursion – whether to Bhutan, Havana, or just a quick road trip in a vintage Porsche – he would return to Gloucester, content in his home and deeply rooted in the community. His sprawling Fourth of July cookout parties brought together friends and neighbors for more than twenty years.

The coda to this remarkable life came in 2020, in the form of noted artist and educator Cindy Crimmin, who became Dennis' partner, inspiration and muse. Instantly smitten, and they were inseparable from the start. Cindy filled Dennis' last years with love, dedication, enthusiasm, and adventure, even as the cancer that eventually ended his life slowly robbed him of his marathoner's stamina. Only days before his death, he and Cindy were laughing and rooting for the Patriots at a Super Bowl party and having dinner with friends and neighbors. He left us all in grace, good humor, and dignity.

Dennis is survived by his sons, Christopher and Michael, his grandchildren, Mikey and Anna, his sister Betty McGurk, former spouses Inger Johansson and Esther Sullivan (the mother of his two sons), and by Cindy. He was predeceased by his brother Jim in 2012.

A private ceremony will be held in the Spring, when Dennis' ashes, along with those of his beloved and ill-behaved Akita named Bud, will be spread on the waters of Essex Bay, to the sound of Raul Malo and the Mavericks.

Donations in Dennis' memory can be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, referencing the research of Dr. Alok Tewari.