Lasting Memories

Dennis Gerard Wagstaffe
April 13, 1954-July 16, 2023
Pescadero, California

Dennis Gerard Wagstaffe, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, peacefully passed away on Sunday, July 16, 2023 at the age of 69, at his home in Sea Ranch, California, surrounded by his loved ones.

Dennis was born on April 13, 1954, in Redwood City, California, to Gerard and Jean Wagstaffe. He was raised in Menlo Park and was the third of six siblings in a bustling Irish-Catholic family. His early years were enriched by his experiences at Woodside Priory High School where he developed lifelong friendships and discovered a love of learning. Dennis attended the University of Southern California on an ROTC scholarship, joining the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He later pursued law at Hastings Law School in San Francisco, graduating in 1978.

A dreamer with an appetite for adventure, Dennis sold all of his earthly belongings and bought a Pan Am one-way ticket around the world while awaiting his California Bar Exam results. He and his friend, Carl, visited over twenty countries and Dennis reconnected with long lost family in Sweden after showing up to a Swedish address written on the back of a 25-year-old postcard. His early career found him in Denver, Colorado, where he served in the Air Force as a JAG officer. This period of his life was also marked by his passion for skiing, a hobby that remained constant even when the Air Force relocated him to Anchorage, Alaska, after he put in a transfer request to the west coast. Upon completing his service, Dennis returned to California and joined his father, Gerard, in practicing general civil law.

In 1986, Dennis met the love of his life, Cathy, on a blind date. Their love story blossomed into a marriage and eventually a family with the birth of their children, Elizabeth and Jeffrey, whom they raised in Menlo Park. In 2011, Dennis and Cathy moved to Davenport, California, where Dennis had more space to pursue his farming and gardening interests, raising chickens and growing various vegetables, a variety of flowers and fruit trees. Dennis's heart was as fertile as his land. He had a penchant for telling jokes, sharing laughter, and extending his kindness and generosity to everyone around him. In Davenport, Dennis enjoyed socializing with a wonderful community of neighbors and developed many tightknit friendships. The weather was never a topic of small talk for Dennis; he reveled in the subtle shifts of the natural world, and in another life, he would have been a meteorologist. He enjoyed the serenity of the beach at Sea Ranch and the tranquil beauty of the redwood forest in Butano, near Pescadero. These locations encapsulated Dennis's spirit: a gentle blend of land and sea, a testament to his lifelong affinity for nature.

In addition to his wife, Cathy, Dennis is survived by his children, Jeffrey Wagstaffe (Jennifer) and Elizabeth Tekanyo (Jim), his grandsons, Brooks Wagstaffe and Theodore Tekanyo, his siblings, Jim Wagstaffe and Steve Wagstaffe, and several nieces, nephews, and friends who loved him dearly. Dennis Gerard Wagstaffe was a beacon of joy, an embodiment of love, and an exemplar of kindness. His life was a testament to the enduring power of laughter, the beauty of nature, and the strength of family bonds. His spirit will continue to flourish within us, much like the vibrant gardens he so lovingly nurtured.