Dennis L. Winchell, 70, of Johnson Creek, Wis., passed away Sunday, June 13, 2021, at Fort Memorial Hospital in Fort Atkinson.
He was born Jan. 25, 1951, to Carl and Iva (Alton) Winchell in Hillsboro. He grew to adulthood in the Wilton area and graduated from the Royall High School in 1969. He furthered his education, graduating from Milton College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
In 1971, Dennis was drafted into the U.S. Army and served on active duty until 1973. He rose to the rank of master sergeant and continued to serve until 2011, splitting time between the U.S. Army Reserves and the Army National Guard. Dennis was incredibly proud of his military service and thoroughly enjoyed ribbing family members who served in other branches of the armed forces.
In a love story for the ages, Dennis was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Sherry Thompson, on Aug. 30, 1993. Their union created a blended family that evolved to the point where the term “step” no longer applied.
Dennis enjoyed searching for the ever-elusive “killer” recipe that contained coconut. He enjoyed displaying odd trinkets and toys with childlike glee and enthusiasm. He loved all professional Wisconsin sports teams and never fully grasped that the athletes on TV could not hear him. He was unapologetic about his Brett Favre shrine and counted among his prized possessions the football signed by Mr. Fahv-ray himself. Above all, Dennis loved his family. He loved being a husband. Loved being a father. Loved being a Papa. Those in his immediate family always considered themselves lucky that they were part of that exclusive club, the circle of Dennis. While he will forever be missed by those who knew him, thoughts of him will always be accompanied by a smile and a warm feeling in the heart. He just had that effect on people.
Survivors include his wife, Sherry; his sons, Chris Winchell and Matt (Angie) Winchell; his daughter, Michelle (Jerald) Cargill; and his daughter, Carmen (Andy) Taft. Beloved grandchildren survivors are Josh Taft, Tristan (Tayler) Taft, Andrea Taft, Jacob Cargill, Ian Winchell, and Drew Winchell. Sibling survivors are Ruthie (Darrell) Parker, Audrey Steidl, DeEtte (Jim) Thomas, Debbie (Roger) Campfield and Neil (Janice) Winchell; and sister-in-law, DeeDee Gerard. He also is survived by many nieces and nephews and extended family and friends. He was preceded in death by brothers, Eugene, Robert, and Carl, and his sister, Goldie.
A time of visitation celebrating the life of Dennis Winchell will be from 12–2 p.m. Friday, June 18, at the Picha Funeral Home in Elroy. A graveside service with military rites will be held at the Hillside Cemetery in Wilton on Friday at about 2:30 p.m. For online information, go to www.pichafuneralhomes.com.
