Dennis Amundson

Dennis LeRoy Amundson was born September 12, 1941, to Hjalmar & Viola Amundson in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During his youth, he also spent many days with his mother's side of the family in Mora, Minnesota. This became a second home for him, and the extended family in Mora was important to him throughout his life. Growing up, he played sockball (baseball with a rolled-up sock). He went to West High School and excelled at baseball and basketball. Dennis attended the University of Minnesota. As a freshman walk-on, he made the varsity baseball team. He quickly discovered that there weren't enough hours to play baseball and study engineering. At the time, engineering was a five-year program. He graduated with a Degree in Electrical Engineering. During college, Dennis met Mary Sorensen at an intermural sporting event. They were married shortly after he graduated and spent the next 60 years together. Dennis worked for the same company, which changed names, including Sperry, Unisys, and Lockheed Martin, for 34 years. During his time there, he worked as an electrical engineer and manager. He received numerous awards of excellence for his work. He helped design hardware for the Navy, including ship-based missile and torpedo tracking systems. He worked on a project for the Air Force to create flight data recorders, which are now used in all commercial aircraft. Dennis also worked on hardware for the Stealth Bomber and spent time at the Lockheed Skunk Works in California when the plane was just a plywood prototype. Because the Navy and Air Force environments were so challenging, he was constantly developing vibration-dampening systems to hold the electronics. He developed an early solid-state memory, called bubble memory, which is like a USB thumb drive today but 40 years earlier. Dennis received three patents for his work. Dennis was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed sharing this passion with his family. Early on, he taught his sons to cross-country ski. The whole family would go to Hyland Park in Bloomington after dinner and ski by headlight; we also skied on weekends. He enjoyed camping and took his family on many vacations in their pop-up camper. Dennis loved fishing and did it as much as he could with friends, family, and coworkers. A favorite spot was Reed Lake, located 500 miles northwest of Winnipeg. The extended family from Mora started going there in 1953, and he made that pilgrimage often in his adult life. Photography was also one of his passions. He created a darkroom for black-and-white photography in the basement. There, he developed film and made enlargements, which he graciously shared with people. Dennis also had a passion for woodworking. When their house was built, he finished the basement himself. He added a woodworking shop behind the garage, where he created many projects and gave them freely to friends and family. He also enjoyed hunting, golf, playing bridge, Twins, Timberwolves, Vikings, and spending time with his family. Dennis passed peacefully on February 25, 2025, at age 83. He is survived by his loving wife, Mary, and his two sons, Dan and Mike. He will truly be missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him. Family and friends are invited to celebrate his life on Saturday, May 3rd. Visitation is from 10-11 am, followed by a service and lunch. This will be held at the Washburn-McReavy Bloomington Chapel, 2300 W. Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington, MN 55431. In lieu of flowers, a Memorial to Park Nicollet Methodist Hospice or a charity of your choice is preferred.

Tributes

Dennis Amundson

September 12, 1941 - February 25, 2025

Tributes

Dennis Amundson

September 12, 1941 - February 25, 2025

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