Dennis Robert Sherraden, age 76, of Middleton, Wisconsin, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, surrounded by his family after he sustained an injury from a fall.
He was born on Sept. 25, 1946, in Manhattan, Kan., the son of Robert Sherraden and Madeline (Amthauer) Sherraden. Dennis graduated from Junction City High School in 1964 and earned the rank of Eagle Scout the same year. He earned a Bachelor of Science at Kansas State University in 1968 and graduated from the School of Dentistry at the University of Missouri, Kansas City in 1971. After completing his dental residency as a prosthodontist at the West Los Angeles VA in 1977, he moved to Boston, Mass., to work in the VA outpatient clinic. While in Boston, he met his wife of 45 years, Debbie (O’Toole) Sherraden. They were married in 1978 and moved to San Francisco, where Dennis entered into private practice, taught as an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California-San Francisco, and served as the Co-Director of Graduate Prosthodontics in the Department of Restorative Dentistry. Dennis and Debbie then settled in Middleton, Wis. in 1985 where they raised their three boys and Dennis built a successful career working as a prosthodontist for over three decades prior to retiring in 2010. He did as much as he could to give back to his Wisconsin dental community, including a longtime membership in the Dane County Dental Society and served as the treasurer for the Wisconsin Dental Study Club. The highlight of his career, however, was the privilege to work in his own private practice.
Dennis was an avid golfer, talented saxophone player, and car enthusiast. He enjoyed singing, camping, going on road trips, sailing, driving to McDonald’s for his breakfast sandwich, and making his daily bruschetta. His travels took him to many destinations both here and abroad, even to India for his youngest son’s wedding. Dennis kept his mind busy with trivia in his spare time and took pride in being affectionately known as a “putzy handyman.” He felt great fulfillment giving back to the community. Some of his proudest examples of community involvement include serving as the Cubmaster for Cub Scout Pack 340, coaching youth soccer for several years, sitting on the Pleasant View Golf Course Advisory Committee, and volunteering with RSVP of Dane County.
Dennis was diagnosed with leukemia (AML) in 2010 and began remission after a generous stem cell transplant donation by a kind soul from across the pond. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather and took great pride in his family. He is survived by his wife, Debbie; three sons, Collin (Alexandra) Sherraden, Brian Sherraden and Aaron (Neha) Sherraden; grandchild, Zya Sherraden; and brother, Michael (Margaret) Sherraden. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Madeline.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the UW Carbone Cancer Center for giving Dennis many years of new life following his cancer diagnosis and to the Neuro ICU at UW Hospital for their exceptional care in his final moments.
Details on a celebration of his life will be announced in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in his honor to the UW Carbone Cancer Center (https://www.wiscmedicine.org/cancer) or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (https://www.lls.org/). Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.