Dennis Dean Unzicker

Dennis (Denny) Unzicker, age 80, of Milbank, South Dakota, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 in Annandale, MN. 

Denny was born on May 1, 1942 to Paul and Inez Unzicker, the first of five children. He met the love of his life, Lois Whiting, and they married on August 17, 1960. They settled in and around Milbank and Webster, South Dakota, and raised three children. 

Denny's life revolved around cars. In his early days, he raced stock cars on local dirt tracks and supported his father's racing as a pitman. He was also a trusted auto mechanic and could diagnose and fix even the most stubborn car issues. He later parlayed his talents into managing automotive parts stores in both Milbank and Webster. In his early years, Denny served in the National Guard, and he was community-focused through involvement  with the Webster Area Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, and Volunteer Fire Department. 

He never lost his love of cars and racing and was an avid NASCAR fan. Early in life, Denny enjoyed camping, and many family trips and vacations involved first a tent, then camper trailers. Most recently, Denny took a vacation to the Black Hills with his three adult children and delighted in reminiscing about those car trips, "Are we there yet?" "Can we stop somewhere with a swimming pool?" Later in life, he enjoyed creating intricate wood "toys", not from a pattern or kit, but from his own skill and imagination, that he proudly displayed and shared. 

Denny was blessed with a kind and generous heart, a great sense of humor, and an ability to tell a story which kept audiences of all ages at rapt attention. He will be greatly missed by his family and all who knew him.

Dennis was preceded in death by his wife Lois, and leaves behind his daughter Angela (Craig) Sanders of Princeton, MN; daughter Lauri (Cameron) Keen of Charlottesville, VA; son Randall (Amy) Unzicker of Annandale, MN, and three grandchildren, Nicholas, Ashton, and Ella. He also leaves behind four sisters, Eileen, Cindi, Barb, and Shirley, as well as his mother Inez.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Peter Reynan and the wonderful care-givers at the Milbank Avera hospital and the compassionate Moments Hospice team in Annandale. Thanks also to his many friends at Friendship Circle in Milbank for their support and companionship. 

The family will hold a private ceremony at a later date. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dennis Dean Unzicker, please visit our floral store.