Dennis R. Vandermay

1943 - 2020

Dennis R. Vandermay

Dennis R. Vandermay, age 77, passed away on November 28, 2020 at the Saint Cloud Hospital. A funeral mass will be held for Dennis on December 11, 2020 at 11:00 am at Sacred Heart Church in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. Visitation will be from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at the church. The funeral mass will be live streamed for those who are unable to attend in person. The link will be available on Sacred Heart Church's website. Dennis will be interred at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Ripley in Little Falls, Minnesota at a later date.

Dennis was born on March 2, 1943 to Jacob and Lila (Luoma) Vandermay in Homestead Township, New York Mills, Minnesota. He grew up on the family dairy farm and graduated from New York Mills High School in 1961. Shortly after his high school graduation, Dennis joined the United States Navy, starting his medical career as a corpsman. He was stationed on the USS Iwo Jima as a member of the Elite Casualty Evacuation team during the Viet Nam war in 1965. Dennis and his family are incredibly proud of the work he did and the sacrifices he made in service to his country. He was enlisted from 1961 to 1965 when he was honorably discharged.

After his time in the Navy, Dennis continued to pursue his dream of helping others in the field of medicine. He worked at the VA in Fargo, North Dakota for a short time before attending Fergus Falls Community College where he graduated in 1969 with an Associate of Arts degree. Dennis then worked at Saint Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls, Minnesota supervising the kidney dialysis and respiratory care units. In 1972 he was accepted into the University of North Dakota School of Medicine. He graduated top of his class in 1973 after completing the MEDEX program where he studied to become a Physicians Assistant. He worked at the Perham Memory Hospital for a couple of years before moving to Arlington, Minnesota in 1975 to practice family medicine. In 1979, Dennis and his family moved to Saint Cloud, Minnesota so he could work at the Saint Cloud VA Medical Center. For the next 20 years, Dennis saw Veterans in the outpatient clinic and enjoyed connecting with and caring for his patients. Dennis retired from the VA in 1999.

After retiring from medicine, Dennis continued pursuing his many interests and hobbies. He spent several years creating art and making crafts including dream catchers, wreaths, ornaments, and other unique items which he transitioned into a small craft business. He attended Christian Clown school and became a certified Christian Clown. He enjoyed making others happy and doing so in the service of God.

Dennis was married in 1971 and had three children and later divorced in 2002. Dennis was incredibly proud of his children and grandchildren. He attended as many sporting events, recitals, school plays, and graduations as he could. He would cheer louder than anyone else and his smile was the biggest and brightest in the room. He loved going fishing with his children and grandchildren, taking his children around the family farm to teach them everything he knew about nature and the world around them. Dennis instilled in his children the importance of working hard, being compassionate, and staying positive.

Dennis was always happiest when he was outdoors. As a very young child, Dennis developed his love of nature. Dennis had a gift for gardening and took great pride in his vegetable and flower gardens. He enjoyed spending time cultivating and caring for everything he grew and was thrilled when he could share his hard work with others - whether it be a few of his vegetables, a handful of flowers or a guided tour Dennis was always happy to share.

Dennis loved animals and seemed to have a special connection with every animal he interacted with. He had an extraordinary bond with all his "best buds" and "top dogs" who were constantly by his side over the years. Each one held a special place in his heart.

Dennis spent the last several years living at Good Shepherd in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. He enjoyed visiting with his neighbors, fellow residents, and staff over the years and made many very good friends. He appreciated spending time with them and loved sitting outside when the weather was nice sharing stories.

Dennis is preceded in death by his parents, brother Donald Vandermay, and sister-in-law Mildred (DeGeest) Vandermay. Dennis will be greatly missed by those who survived him including his children, daughter Julie (Vandermay) Wolke and son-in-law Jacob Wolke, daughter Sarah (Vandermay) Wimmer and partner Chad Bueckers, son Niles Vandermay and daughter-in-law Amanda (Christen) Vandermay and three grandchildren, Nathan Wimmer, Hailey Wimmer and Jace Vandermay, several nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.