Dennis J. McGuire

Dennis (Bucky) John McGuire, 68, of Amherst, New Hampshire passed away peacefully at Massachusetts General Hospital surrounded by his loving family on March 11th, 2020 and was welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven. Born in Lawrence, MA on August 30th, 1951, Dennis was the son of the late Rene and Cecelia McGuire. He grew up in Lawrence where he attended St. Augustine Grammar School and was a 1969 graduate of Central Catholic High School. He was a hard-working kid from the beginning, and first earned money on a local paper route and happily helped his father in his home construction business whenever he was needed. At Central Catholic, he was a good student, played on the football team, and reportedly developed a lifetime love of tuna fish sandwiches (he swears he ate them every day for lunch)! In school, he was a popular guy with a gift of gab and a small mischievous streak who loved to make his friends laugh and enjoy a good time.
Dennis later attended Merrimack College in North Andover, MA for business studies; it was during these college years that he met and fell in love with his future wife, Cheryl Fountain, at the beach. Following their marriage in 1975, they joyfully welcomed their two beautiful daughters, Megan and Erin, into their lives and moved to their newly-built colonial dream home in Hampstead, NH that he enjoyed customizing so much. A devoted and very hands on father, Dennis loved to bundle up the kids and take them all over the place. He and his family later moved to Andover, MA where his daughters went to school. An avid skier (and previously a ski instructor), Dennis greatly enjoyed skiing with his family in the winter and boating on their family boats Megerbuck and then Cher Pleasure on Lake Winnepesaukee as well as relaxing at the shore at their beach house in Seabrook and at neighboring beaches like Wallis Sands. Dennis fondly remembered trips to Cortina, Italy for skiing, Florida and DisneyWorld with the family, Bermuda, and the Caribbean (St. Maarten was a favorite); warmer climates seemed to always beckon when wintry weather hit New England. His daughters and nephews all grew up happily nearby each other and many holiday meals were enjoyed at their family home; Dennis was especially well known for his homemade deep-dish lasagna and amazingly tender beef roast!
Dennis had a successful career in the chemical industry at Reichold Chemical and later at ChemDesign in Fitchburg, which was later acquired by Bayer. He was rightfully proud not only of his business skills but also of his people management skills. Once his daughters were grown, Dennis happily retired as early as possible and moved to Amherst, NH and his beloved Country Mansion community after meeting his sweetheart Natalie Mendham. At Country Mansions, he made many dear friends, served on the Board of Directors, and raised his beloved and slightly spoiled King Charles Cavalier, Gracie. He spent a lot of his time in retirement with family and friends, working out, visiting the ocean, enjoying Italian and lots of other food whenever he could, fishing with his dear friend Dave McGarr, and working in the garden. But nothing made him happier that spending precious family time with his beautiful daughters, son-in-law Dan, and most especially his 5 beautiful granddaughters Ava, Lea, Sofia, and Lily Michelinie and Juliet Ledeen. He was a proud and devoted Grampy to them all. The recent vacations he spent with them in Cary, NC; York, Maine; and Yarmouthport and Chatham on the Cape were such a source of joy! We are all so grateful for the wonderful memories from those vacations.
Although Dennis lived most of his life in New England, he so enjoyed spending time with Natalie at his winter home at Carolina Preserve in Cary, NC in recent years. His wonderful neighbors took him out to play golf there for the first time in 2016 and he never looked back – he was obsessed! And even though he had some mobility restrictions because of his arthritis, he surprised his family and friends by quickly becoming a solid player and a great golf companion to them all! He and his brother Jim enjoyed lots of time out on the greens whenever they could.
Dennis is survived by his beloved daughter Megan Ledeen and wonderful granddaughter Juliet of North Andover, MA and beloved daughter Erin Michelinie and her husband Dan and their 4 wonderful daughters Ava, Lea, Sofia, and Lily all of Hampstead, NH; dear brother Jim McGuire and his wife Beth of Windham, NH and dear nephew Jared McGuire of San Francisco, CA; and loving sister Donna Seccareccio and her husband Paul of Windham, NH and dear nephews Michael Seccareccio and his wife Anne Marie and their children Owen and Isabel of South Boston and Christopher Seccareccio of Windham, NH. He also leaves behind his former wife Cheryl McGuire; several favorite cousins; and his favorite and very special aunt, Millie Marquis, of Windham, NH. In addition to relatives, Dennis will be greatly missed by his dear friend Natalie Mendham of Amherst, NH and her sons Stephen and Alex as well as by his many special friends and neighbors in Amherst, NH and Cary, NC. Dennis was predeceased by his parents, in laws, grandparents, and several aunts and uncles.
Despite his many physical ailments, Dennis always had a kind word to say, helped anyone in need, and was always ready to share a laugh and smile with those around him. He was able to recover quite quickly from many surgeries and was a fighter in the best sense of the word, successfully beating advanced cutaneous melanoma years ago and courageously battling mucosal melanoma over the past year. No matter what he went through, he never complained, made the best of it, and was always ready for a delicious meal out or in at any time (he never tired of Italian food)! He was known as a pretty snazzy dresser, too. We will miss his corny jokes, upbeat sense of humor, and the way he loved to play practical jokes on those he loved! Even in his final days, he had his nurses at Mass General laughing at his jokes and teasing. Now we believe he is brightening up heaven with his humor and smile and maybe even playing some golf on the greenest and most beautiful courses ever after happily reuniting with his loved ones and Gracie.
Dennis often said that the older he got, the more he appreciated the simple things in life, like spending precious time with loved ones, a quiet trip to the ocean, the beauty of New England in the autumn, tending a garden, or enjoying a home-cooked meal. A celebration of his life for family members and close friends will be held at a later date in the spring. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider enjoying a simple pleasure, spending precious time with a loved one, or making a donation to a charity of your choice in his memory. Dennis's family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to the entire staff at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, particularly Dr. Donald Lawrence and Krista Rubin who treated him for both cutaneous and later mucosal melanoma and the amazing nurses and team on Ellison 16, for the excellent and compassionate care he received there over the years and before his passing. May he Rest in Eternal Peace and Comfort until we all meet again.
The Cremation Society of New Hampshire is assisting Dennis' family.