On Aug. 30, 2023, after a hard-fought battle with cancer, Dennis R Wieber, 56, Welch, MN, died at home and entered eternal life. Born Oct. 28, 1966, to Donald and Sharon Wieber, Dennis lived his adventurous young life in Avon, MN with his four siblings, Kenneth, Caren, Richard, and Ann, along with many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends nearby.
In 1985, as class president, Dennis graduated Valedictorian from Holdingford High School, where he excelled in mathematics and physics. He then served in the US Navy as a Nuclear Power Plant Mechanical Operator, where he received numerous awards and commendations for his knowledge & expertise, “can do” attitude, and mentorship of struggling students. During his Navy service, he began to hone his well-known talent as a patient and thorough instructor.
In 1996 Dennis began a lengthy and rewarding career with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Farmington, MN, maintaining & operating the power plant. In his latest role as an FAA Air Traffic System Specialist, he was respected nationally for his careful attention to the National Airspace System.
In 2005 Dennis married Brenda Lyons (Elias) of Rosemount, MN, and welcomed her two daughters into his life as if they were his own. He enjoyed guiding, mentoring, and taking pride in the girl’s accomplishments. Dennis did everything with honesty and integrity, and was well liked, mostly due to his positive attitude. In February 2023, due to his deteriorating health, Dennis begrudgingly retired from the FAA after 26 years of outstanding service to the flying public.
From an early age, Dennis was curious, and his inquisitiveness drove him to become a master mechanic. Given the proper tools, there is not a machine he could not tackle – he could fix anything. Dennis was brilliant, capable, and confident – and he knew when to stand his ground. Swayed only by sound logic and reasoning, he did not make decisions based on emotion. But he was also humble and teachable, kind, generous, and quick-witted. Uncle D to many, he had an amazing memory and was an animated storyteller. He was known for his work ethic, but he also took time to enjoy drag racing, motorcycling, snowmobiling, car shows, and off-roading. Some of his best times were spent with his life-long friends -- waterskiing with Tim Voss and ice-fishing with Rob Roberge. Above all, his favorite activity of late was being Papa D to Roman and Alice, with the three of them making sure the bird feeders were always filled.
In the last decade, Dennis began looking for evidence to support or negate his spiritual beliefs. His analysis led him adopt a Biblical view of Christianity and to shed many of his earlier ideas. Dennis, a true gentleman, wouldn’t tell you what to believe. Instead, he would say, “You’re intelligent. Set aside your biases, thoroughly examine the evidence, and see where it leads. Then, choose wisely.”
Dennis is preceded in death by brothers-in-law Jason Elias (Champlin), Mick Freund, and Paul Heinen. He is survived by his loving wife Brenda; daughters Krista (David) Knight (Burnsville) and Kelly Moeller (Welch); grandchildren Logan, Roman, and Alice; parents Don and Sherry Wieber (Avon); siblings Ken (Lorelei) Wieber (Woodbury), Caren Heinen (St Cloud), Rick (Yvonne) Wieber (St Joseph), and Ann Freund (Minneapolis) as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
A celebration of life, with military honors, will be held at the family residence on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, at 11 a.m. A light luncheon will be provided after the service. For further details, please email: Kelly.j.moeller@gmail.com
In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests donations in memory Dennis to either of these 501(c)(3) charities: Stand to Reason, 1438 E. 33rd St., Signal Hill, CA 90755 / www.str.org or MN ACE (Minnesota Aviation Career Education) Camp, Dennis Wieber Legacy Scholarship, 5353 Gamble Drive, Suite 320, St Louis Park, 55416
