Dennis Allen Dacquisto

Dennis Dacquisto, age 76, resident of Racine, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2022, at home with his daughter and wife by his side, after a courageous battle with esophageal cancer. He lived life on his terms and was ready to leave when the Lord called him home. Dennis was born in Racine, WI, July 6th, 1946, to Anthony and Gladys Dacquisto. He attended Horlick High School and joined the US Army at age 17. Dennis was an incredibly hard worker; sometimes working 2 or 3 jobs at a time. In the 1970’s, he worked as a machinist at Gordon Machine. In the early 80’s he ran the most successful disco bar in Racine, The Pirates Den. His love of live music gave him the perfect opportunity to book bands every weekend. He moved on to run his own bar in 1990, Back in Time. He ended his bar career in the mid-90’s with a successful college hang-out, Chain Reaction. He finished his life’s work as a handy man, installing water heaters and doing small home repairs until he was physically unable to work. In August 1968, he married Judy Carlson, and they had two children: Jodi and Danny. In August 1984, he re-married Kim Bindel and had his third child, Faryn. In December of 2010, he married Linda Mattioli with the theme, Third Time’s a Charm. Dennis loved baseball and football; specifically, the Atlanta Braves, San Francisco 49ers and anyone who played the Green Bay Packers. Dr. D, as he called himself, made weekly predictions on the outcome of all Packer games. Dennis enjoyed traveling. He loved cruising, Las Vegas excitement and attending car races and Brewer’s spring training in Phoenix. The last few years he chose to vacation in Lehigh Acres, FL where he could attend all the Braves spring training he wanted. He and his wife just purchased a vacation home that he was able to enjoy a couple of times earlier this year. Dennis was a simple man. His goal in life was to make people happy and laugh. He would do anything for anyone. He is well known for his secret trick of making a beer can stick to his forehead. His love of life and people made him so fun to be around. His greatest joy came from spending time with his children and grandchildren. He was a very proud father. As a lifelong baseball fan, Dennis was a Major Leaguer who overcame adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage. A quote from one of his beloved Atlanta Braves famously said, “Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.” And Dennis did just that. Over and over. He was a fighter. But as he was called up to the majors, he knew it was time to steal home. And we all know that the Lord called him safe. Dennis is survived by his wife, Linda Mattioli; sisters Sharon Williamson, Cindy (Jim) Schulz and brother Mike (Mary) Dacquisto; Children, Jodi (Brian) Paragamian, Daniel Dacquisto and Faryn (Brian Hart) Dacquisto; His favorite grandson, Anthony (Kayla) Gonzales; and his three great-grandchildren, Roman, Andre and Jocelyn. In addition to his parents, Dennis was preceded in death by his brothers, John and Tony Dacquisto. His celebration of life will be held at Infusino's Banquet Hall on Sunday, August 28, 2022, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. A private memorial service will be held at a later date at Southern Wisconsin Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery with full military honors. Special thanks to the Milwaukee VA Medical Center; Oncology and GI departments; especially his nurse, Sara for the compassionate care given in his time of need.

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Dennis Allen Dacquisto

July 6, 1946 - August 21, 2022