Dennis Emil Mittendorf

Mittendorf, Dennis Emil, 68, passed away unexpectedly on August 25, 2022. Born on September 3, 1953 in Quonset Point, North Kingstown, he was the son of the late Emil W, “Bud” Mittendorf and the late Eleanor (Durand) Mittendorf. He was the loving husband of Susan (Phipps) Mittendorf, and is survived by his daughters, Kristine Dugas of Franklin, MA and Katherine Woods of South Kingstown, RI, his sister Heidi Ruzzo of Wimauma FL, his grandchildren, Nathan Dugas, Thomas Mittendorf, Andrew Mittendorf-Woods, Brendan Woods, great-grandchildren Isabelle Woods, Lilyanna Woods and Alison Miller. He was a favorite uncle to many nieces and nephews. He graduated from South Kingstown in 1971, and remained in the area his entire life. One of his greatest joys was being at home with his view of Potters Pond and maintaining his property to perfection. Dennis loved to make people laugh from the time he was a child. The Dennis the Menace character could have been written after him with all his silly antics. He learned professional landscaping skills as a child with his Grandfather, which he continued to do as a hobby for his entire life. He worked hard selling papers as a child to buy his first Boston Whaler at age 12. The “Hell No” was a well known boat on Potters Pond and Salt Pond. He began working at Almac’s when he 16 and worked his way up to night manager until the store closed for good. He continued to work in retail at Rippys, Pier Market, and also began working construction, which he loved. Although he could have retired completely, he still worked at CVS where he was known for his silliness and entertaining his coworkers as well as customers. He was never afraid to dress up or do crazy things to make people laugh. He was an avid outdoorsman, besides being a master water skier, he loved snow skiing - he never met a double black diamond he didn’t like, rock climbing, ice climbing, hiking and and loved the mountains and ocean equally. Dennis loved music, and could be seen at many local concerts - especially his favorite, the Rhythm and Roots festival. After beating cancer in 1998, he and Susan changed focus and began to travel. Alaska, Hawaii, he bought a camper and went to almost every state. He stood at the top of Machu Picchu, saw Komodo dragons in the Galapagos, explored many places with National Geographic and Lindbald in Alaska and Europe There was even a cruise on a masted sailing ship. He had a wanderlust that was infectious, he made everyone part of his adventures and wanting to see more. Dennis may have left us earlier than he should have, but he has left a legacy of stories for anyone who knew him to reflect on that will put a smile on their face. There will be calling hours on Tuesday September 6, 2022 at 4- 6 pm, in the Avery Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia St., Wakefield, followed by a funeral service at 6 pm. Burial will be private. There will be a celebration of life at a later date. Please omit flowers and contributions in his memory can be made to South Kingstown Land Trust.