Dennis E. Gifford Sr.

Dennis E. Gifford, Sr., 53, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, passed away in the early morning of March 16, 2023. Dennis was born in Hammond, Indiana in 1969, and grew up in Munster, Indiana. Some of his favorite memories of his childhood were of taking long vacations to a lake cabin in Wisconsin with his family. Dennis attended Munster High School and graduated in 1987. He went on the attend Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, graduating in 1991 with a degree in accounting. Dennis initially worked for Aon Corporation in Chicago, before moving to Brownsburg, Indiana, with his wife Mary (Conine) Gifford, whom he met in college and married in 1992. Dennis had a variety of ongoing interests from chess, bowling, photography, and video games in high school to golf and billiards in college. Dennis developed his career as a CPA in Indianapolis and had the opportunity to co-own several record stores, fulfilling an ambition to be a small business owner. Dennis and Mary developed an interest in gardening as well, which they expanded into ownership of a 40 acre hobby farm in southern Indiana while Dennis maintained his career remotely. As their family grew, Dennis enjoyed sharing his interests with his children and encouraged them to be independent and confident in their own pursuits and individuality. Dennis eventually moved his career to nearby Cincinnati at Western and Southern Financial Group. While there, Dennis joined a running group, going on to participate in a variety of road races including completing over 10 marathons and two ultra-marathons. Dennis also enjoyed being active in Toastmasters International in both Indianapolis and Cincinnati, where he excelled in humorous speech competitions. Further career opportunities brought Dennis and his family to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2018 where he joined Eenhoorn, LLC as Chief Financial Officer. The family chose to try an urban life, settling in the Heritage Hill neighborhood and enjoying being able to walk to work, libraries, museums, and shops. Friends and family remember Dennis for his great sense of humor, dependability, and readiness to help others. Dennis is preceded in death by his father, Donald Earl Gifford, Sr. and survived by his mother, Iris (Shevchenko) Gifford, and siblings April (Gifford) Ward, Donald Gifford, Jr., Adrienne (Gifford) London, Abbie (Gifford) Seymour, Daniel Gifford, and Amy (Gifford) Anderson; wife Mary (Conine) Gifford, and children Victoria Gifford, Victoria’s fiancé, Nate Rancor, Dennis Gifford, Jr., Dennis’s partner, Hannah Begley, and Arden Gifford. The funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 23 at Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuary East, 937 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids, with internment at Fulton Street Cemetery, Grand Rapids. The family will receive visitors at Arsulowicz Brothers Mortuary East immediately prior to the funeral on Thursday, March 23, from noon to 2 p.m. Memorial contributions to the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Grand Rapids Public Library, or the Heritage Hill Association will be appreciated.

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Dennis E. Gifford Sr.

August 9, 1969 - March 16, 2023