Dennis Roy Lagerquist

life story

Beloved Father, Grandfather, Friend

Dennis and Erlene would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in July, 2026. Erlene passed after a long battle with Parkinson's in May. Dennis passed peacefully in September.

They are together again...

Denny and Erlene

Dennis Roy Lagerquist passed away unexpectedly but peacefully at his home in Roseville, MN on September 8th, 2026, a little more than three months after the love of his life, Erlene Joanne (Lawson) Lagerquist passed away on May 19th, 2026.

We’ve all heard the saying, “He died of a broken heart.” We know this to be true. Dennis and Erlene grew up together in the tiny, close-knit town of Leonardville, Kansas, became high school sweethearts, built a life and a family together, made deep friendships, raised two sons, welcomed five amazing grandkids— and would’ve celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on July 29th of this year. Including high school, they were together for about 70 years.

They are together again.

Dennis was born on Dec. 21, 1940 (one year to the day after Erlene), the third of three children to Roy and Emilie (Nanninga) Lagerquist. He was a standout basketball player and student. After high school, he followed his older sisters, Janet and Sylvia, enrolling at nearby Kansas State University and remained a proud Wildcat for life, even after he was the last player cut from the K State Freshmen basketball team. In the summer of 1961, Erlene convinced him it was time to exchange vows, and not long after they moved to Champaign, IL where Dennis earned his PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at the unusually young age of 26. While he would forever root for the Illini– they never passed the Wildcats in his heart.

A job at Boeing then took them to Seattle, where both Mark and Gregg were born. In the early 1970s, they moved again for a job, this time to Northfield, MN, where they met a group of other young couples who would become the dearest of friends for life. In the early 1980s, another job change took them to Roseville, MN. And indeed, Minnesota became their forever home– except in winters after they retired, when they traded the tundra for Tucson, AZ.

We mentioned the PhD. This title came with an unexpected twist. For years, when mail would arrive at the house addressed to “Dr. Dennis Lagerquist”, his sons would insist it must be a terrible mistake, as he was clearly not a “doctor”-- to which Dennis, as was his way, would only mildly protest.

But he was a “doctor” and an impressive one, becoming an expert on how different materials behave under different stresses, like speed, altitude and rotation, doing research for Boeing, NASA, the Air Force and others, and earning multiple patents. We could tell you more, but Dennis rarely said much about it and, after all, it’s likely classified. (Or, at least, it was.)

“Not saying much” was sort of Dennis’s speciality, even though he had a quick wit and cared deeply for the world and those around him. The truth is, he left most of the talking to Erlene. Erlene– who was proud of the fact she was the first in her family to earn a college degree after going back to the University of Minnesota in her 40s– led the way in social settings and ways of the heart. For him, the world was just bigger, better and more vibrant with her leading the charge, even if he would occasionally protest otherwise.

When Erlene went into hospice in May after finally conceding she could no longer keep her failing body going through sheer force of will, she worried Dennis would struggle on his own. She made her sons promise they would visit and call him often from their homes in New England to keep him connected and engaged. But he admitted during those visits and phone calls that he wasn’t sure what he was meant to do or be without her.

He needed her and she needed him… and they are together again.

Dennis and Erlene are survived by their sons and their wives, Mark and Lisa, and Gregg and Leslie– and by their five grandchildren– who were the pride of their lives– Erik, Megan, Reece, Max and Tess– as well as by various nieces and nephews around the country, whom they loved even if they didn’t see them often.

Dennis and Erlene are predeceased by their parents, and by their siblings and their spouses, thus passing the last of their generation in our family.

Per their request, their ashes will be spread together in a memorial forest in Scandia, MN in a private ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, gifts can be given to the “Michael J. Fox Foundation” for Parkinson’s research.

Forever in our hearts– we love you Mom and Dad, Nana and Grandpa.